E
T
A
U
4
D
1
A
0
R
2
R
G
P
T HQ
S
O
IN PSEARC
RE
L
ADE
AID
E,
TH
SOU
AUS
LIA
TR A
| A
14 |
9PRIL
U
DU.A
E
.
R
QP
XX
VENUE
FLOOR PLAN
QPR2014:
PR14: ADELAIDE
ADELAIDE
GROUND LEVEL
National Wine Centre
Ground level
Exit
The
Vines
Emergency Procedure
Emergency Proc
Assembly Point
C
Car Park
Lower
Terrace
Vines
Tce
Botanic Gardens
Terrace
Main Entrance
Botanic Gardens
Foyer
Hickinbotham Hall
Ramp
Up
Catering
Kitchen
Emergency
Procedure
gency Procedure
Assembley
point
Point
Grass Assembly
Area
Grass Area
Reception
Lift
Concourse
Ramp
Up
Broughton
Ferguson
Western Entrance/Exit
WIN
Loading Dock
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
i
IN
QPR2014:
PR14: ADELAIDE
ADELAIDE
XX
VENUE
FLOOR PLAN
LEVEL 1
National Wine Centre
Level 1
The
Gallery
Void Over
Foyer
Void Over
Concourse
Lift
Void Over
Concourse
Bridge
Exhibition Hall
POD 3
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
ii
Wine
Discovery
Journey
CONTENTS
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
Welcome
.............................................................................................................................................
1
Sponsors
............................................................................................................................................
2
About QPR
.......................................................................................................................................
National Wine Centre of Australia
General Information
Social Events
Timetable
......................................................................
..............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
4
6
8
10
15
DAY 1
Keynote #1
Gill Clarke
Evolution of the doctorate: a UK perspective
on an international qualification .................................................................................... 24
Abstracts: Session 1
Vosloo and Barry
Quality in Proposals for Master’s Level Research:
Perspectives from a University of Technology in South Africa
........
25
Willison
Prepared for the PhD? Student retrospectives on explicit
Research Skill Development in the undergraduate years ............ 26
Blemenstein
Bridging the gap in Quantitative Skills (QS) development:
stories of researchers in service teaching ..................................................... 27
Hardy and Hermann
Postgraduate Peacebuilding: Effectively managing conflict
in the HDR Student / Supervisor Relationship ......................................... 28
Ogierman
The benefits of embracing the Education Manager
model for the selection and management of Higher
Degree Research students ............................................................................................ 29
Smit and van Den Berg
Assisted self-constructing of an independent
all-round academic ................................................................................................................. 30
Sharmini and Spronken-Smith
Examiners assessing publication-based PhDs
.......................................
31
Edmondston, Azaraidis and Haq
Examiners’ views of doctoral theses containing
published work ............................................................................................................................ 32
Picard and Velautham
Towards a Thesis Assessment Matrix:
An action research project ............................................................................................. 33
Owen
Challenges presented and targets met: enhancing
research training to prepare the next generation of
researchers leaders ............................................................................................................... 34
Ohnishi and Ford
Student seminar program as a pedagogical tool for
improving scientific presentation skills in PhD students
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
iii
................
35
Laurs and Carter
What constitutes good pedagogy for generic
doctoral support? .................................................................................................................... 36
Kelly
The spaces of doctoral research
............................................................................
37
Mical
Nomad Science and Mass Customization for
Architectural Doctorates ................................................................................................... 38
Ward
How do ideology, expedience, and ignorance
affect the practice of supervision? .......................................................................... 39
Brocker
The role of research administrators in international
HDR student success ......................................................................................................... 40
Stenstrom
Researcher Development Workshops –
Administrators need not apply .................................................................................. 41
Kumar and Stracke
The Role of Peer Support Groups in the Development
of Graduate Attributes in the Research Degree ..................................... 42
Abstracts: Session 2
Bennett
Feedback for enhancement: Surveying the experience and
development of postgraduate researchers .................................................
Milos and Kroll
To agree or to strongly disagree: What are the most
effective types of research higher degree student
satisfaction surveys? ............................................................................................................
Shaw, Scevak, Holbrook, Bourke and Budd
The Journey Plot: an Innovative mixed-method approach for
assessing transition in doctoral learning .........................................................
Symons
The proof is in the pudding: an evidence based approach to
improving the quality of research higher degree supervision ..........
Halbert
Student perceptions and capacities in a ‘quality’
advisory relationship .............................................................................................................
Frick, Brodin and Albertyn
The pedagogy of doctoral supervision: conceptualising
the quality of the student-supervisor relationship ................................
Northcote and McLoughlin
Opening doors for improved doctoral student progress:
Thresholds concepts for crossing the research barrier .................
Budd, Scevak, Cantwell, Bourke, Holbrook and Shaw
Measuring Doctoral Student Satisfaction with Progress ..............
Mantai and Dowling
Supporting the PhD Journey: What
Acknowledgements Tell Us ...........................................................................................
Boey
A balancing act: The study-work-life challenge for international
postgraduate students at Monash University and RMIT ..............
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
CONTENTS
Stow and Mewburn
Why do some new ideas stick? Or, what higher education
can learn from public health policy .......................................................................
Green and Bowden
Moral compass framework that informs decision-making by
people involved in shaping the higher education environment .........
Racioppi-­Myers
Consumerism in Higher Education .......................................................................
Brett
An Australian perspective on risk in research education ..............
Anderson
Summer Research Scholarships- an excellent introduction
to a higher degree by research .................................................................................
Scott
Quality - what does this mean in HDR? ........................................................
Kearns
ARTA: Working with Researchers -how to get things done .............
DAY 2
53
Dr Thomas Jørgensen
European Doctoral Education: A silent revolution
54
55
56
57
58
59
Abstracts: Session 3
Spronken-Smith and Sharmini
The PhD – is it out of alignment? ...........................................................................
Dobson, Campbell, Pyer and Parkes
Application of doctoral scholarship in health and social
care practice settings in the UK. .............................................................................
Vosloo and Steyn
Pedagogical implications in the supervision of MBA
research projects ......................................................................................................................
Zhou and Thomas
Factors differentiating HDR students in study motivation
and communication ...............................................................................................................
Scevak, Holbrook, Budd, Bourke, Shaw and Cantwell
Is there a mismatch between doctoral students’ conceptions
and actual experience of PhD study? ...............................................................
Vandermensbrugghe
Motivations and outcomes of PhDs for older mature age
students: becoming experts by doing a hobby ......................................
Walker, Pressick-Kilborn and Sainsbury
Theorising doctoral supervision: A sociocultural approach .......
Looney
Policy on Postgraduate Research: Adding
‘Relevance’ to the Mix ........................................................................................................
Warburton and Macauley
Wrangling the literature: Quietly contributing to
HDR completions ...................................................................................................................
Kumar and Macintosh
RGRAD: University of Canberra’s online, interactive tool to
manage research candidature ...................................................................................
Lum and Tan
A holistic system for managing, measuring and monitoring
quality in doctoral training programs ................................................................
Castle
UQ HDR Scholarship Rounds ....................................................................................
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
iv
Keynote #2
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
................................
72
Abstracts: Session 1
Aitchison and Mowbray
Shadow writers in doctoral education?: shades of grey .............. 73
Kearns
Writer’s Block: A light-hearted look ...................................................................... 74
Bastalich
Academic objectivity and research writing ................................................... 75
Grant, Kelly, Burford, Mitchell, Okai and Xu
Figuring theory-method relations: Showcasing new
research into doctoral education ............................................................................ 76
Eley
Building the ‘teaching-research nexus’ in a research-intensive
university: the Clinician Scientist Track at the University of
Queensland, Australia ......................................................................................................... 77
Palmer
Benchmarking the completions process ....................................................... 78
Tuovinen, Williams, Buxton, Spence and Wescombe-Down
Quo Vadis Doctoral Programs in Private Non-profit Higher
Education? The view from two providers. .................................................... 79
Hill
What happens when a researcher wants to publish
differently? A vision of the possibilities – Cabaret as
academic discourse .............................................................................................................. 80
Ryland
Empowering the leadership role of research
education coordinators ...................................................................................................... 81
Zhang
Factors influencing to effective doctoral supervision
in Ryland Management in China ............................................................................. 82
Jones, Billot and Banda
Developing supervisors through mentorship ........................................... 83
Mulcahy, Narayanan, Pignata, Rajendhiran,
Spuzic, Uzunovic, Vaikundam and Fraser
Some issues related to knowledge transfer in postgraduate
research and education .................................................................................................... 84
Gasson
The Examination Process: Achieving a quality and
timely submission ................................................................................................................... 85
Crawford
Managing conflicts of interest in thesis ............................................................ 86
Abstracts: Session 2
Share
Lifting the stone on the PhD viva process in Irish Higher
Education Institution .............................................................................................................. 87
Tan and Mallan
‘Attacks in the Doctoral Viva’: Critical Narrative Insights from
Experienced Doctoral Examiners ............................................................................ 88
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
CONTENTS
Mccarthy, Clarke and Rogerson
Communication Accommodation to achieve
Research Student Autonomy ...................................................................................... 89
Mewburn
Quitting Talk: an analysis of conversations about
leaving research degree study ................................................................................... 90
Beckmann
Why I am still here: The Resilience of Women
Research Students ................................................................................................................. 91
Behrend
Research writing for international research scholars:
more than ‘grammar ............................................................................................................. 92
O’Byrne and Martens
Graduate Research School structures – the UNSW direct
engagement model ................................................................................................................ 93
Scott
The socialisation of research students into disciplines
through spoken academic discourses ............................................................. 94
Chatterjee-Padmanabhan
Writing and researching in the contact zone: This is
what international doctoral students have told me ............................. 95
Loeser and Harper
Gender and the doctoral experience: A critique of alterity ............. 96
Buchanan
The 2003 commencing higher degree by research cohort .......... 97
Palmer, Marsden and Mewburn
Profiling the new normal: a perspective from narrative
and from enrolment metrics ......................................................................................... 98
Smit
Co-constructed multi-media on-line researcher development
programme: A non-traditional mentoring innovation ........................ 99
Charles and McLean
Online support of HDR professional development:
Recent initiatives & reflections on community-building .............. 100
Hiss
Providing a premium admission experience –
can that boost HDR cohort quality? ................................................................ 101
Frick and Brodin
Developing expert scholars: The role of reflection in
creative learning ..................................................................................................................... 102
Wisker and Robinson
Supervising the creative doctorate ................................................................... 103
Hamilton and Carson
Relational Practices in the Supervision of
Creative Research Higher Degrees .................................................................. 104
Poster Session
Tuckett and Spence
PhUZd on Facebook: Using social media for creating
a community of scholars amongst research higher degree
nurses and midwives. Flourished or fizzer? ............................................... 105
Niess, Chur-Hansen, Turnbull, Ramos and Due
Communication and Co-operation Between Culturally
Diverse Research Students ........................................................................................ 106
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
v
Nimmo and Reid
The Postgraduate Certificate in Researcher Professional
Development: a revolutionary approach to supporting
academic excellence with employer relevance ......................................
Kozar and Lum
Writing Groups for Off-Campus PhD students? ...................................
Blass and Jones
Understanding one’s own academic identity before
contributing to the development of others’: is this the
key element to hdr supervisor development? ......................................
Jones
Developing a methodology to research the Lived
Experiences on the PhD Journey: Critical Reflections
from the Students’ Perspective ............................................................................
Igamberdiev and Qureshi
iResearcher – Research organizer for graduate
research candidates ...........................................................................................................
Bultoc
Developing Independent Researchers at UCL An impact case study ......................................................................................................
Chirgwin and Belton
Research online student and supervisor support (ROSSS)
.........
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
Abstracts: Session 3
Mantai
Social Support in the PhD Journey ..................................................................
Holian, Staples, Burnside-Lawry and Dalrymple
Journeying the Bumpy Thesis Roads: Learning and
Exploring Together ..............................................................................................................
Córdoba
Empathy and/or Sympathy: Research Administrators
as Initial Emotions and in the Successful Completion of
Research Degrees in Australia ...............................................................................
Zhou and Thomas
Improving the graduate teaching assistant experience:
Who and what matters ..................................................................................................
Greer, Cathcart and Neale
Helping Doctoral Students to Teach: Bridging the Gap
between PhD Candidature and Early Career Academic ...........
Cathcart and Beckmann
In at the deep end: Comparing different approaches to
developing doctoral candidates’ teaching skills .................................
Copeman
Script and performance quality for 3MT® Three Minute Thesis
presentations: research pitch meets dramatic monologue ......
Nimmo
The Postgraduate Certificate in Researcher Professional
Development: a revolutionary approach to supporting
academic excellence with employer relevance ...................................
Kiley
How might coursework in the PhD be
related to employability? ...............................................................................................
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
CONTENTS
Kearns
Dr Who: Frauds in Research Education The Imposter Syndrome Explained .................................................................. 123
Claesson and Strandler
A Tacit Dream-world Confronted by a Regulated Life-world .......... 124
Cuthbert, Molla and Barnacle
The Passionate Knowledge Worker: Exploring tensions
between Australian Future Fellows and HE knowledge
and innovation policy discourse ........................................................................... 125
DAY 3
Keynote #3
Joe Luca
Research training excellence in Australia: a good practice
framework for Higher Degrees by Research .......................................... 126
Abstracts: Session 1
Smernik and Cargill
An innovative approach to developing the writing and
publication skills of research students in science and
technology disciplines: demonstrated success of an
embedded program .......................................................................................................... 127
Berggren and Lundström
Pedagogical challenges in training doctoral supervisors ......... 128
Li
Addressing diversity in doctoral writing support: Implications
for postgraduate research training and supervision ...................... 129
Kiley and Ayres
Using learning plans to support doctoral candidates .................. 130
Mewburn and Pitt
What employers want: Using job adverts to talk
about doctoral employability .................................................................................... 131
Zhou
Designing and assessing the learning outcomes of
transferable skills at the postgraduate level ............................................ 132
Carter and Sturm
The hardest step is over the threshold: Supervision
learning as threshold crossing ............................................................................... 133
Manathunga
Theorising the ‘inter’ in intercultural supervision: place,
time and knowledge in intercultural supervision ................................ 134
Johnson
Issues in doctoral supervision: Strategies for crossing
intellectual thresholds ...................................................................................................... 135
Northcote and Williams
The Researcher’s Little Helper: The design of an enabling online
resource for postgraduate students and their supervisors ........... 136
Wolfgramm-Foliaki
Supervision: a critical space for Pasifika students ........................... 137
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
vi
Ford and Ohnishi
‘Strangers’ or immediate colleagues: who is most helpful in
developing PhD students’ oral presentation skills? ........................
Boud and Ryland
Building research cultures in doctoral education:
the role of coordinators .................................................................................................
Vosloo and Root
Collegiality – How does it influence the development
of supervisors? .......................................................................................................................
Vandenberg
The well-being of inexperienced doctoral supervisors:
Perspectives from the Demands-Resources Model ....................
Cornell and Hjorungdal
Supervision practices in emerging significant scholars Voices from Scandinavian archaeology .......................................................
Peng
An Ethnographic Study of Supervision Leadership Style
in a Chinese EFL Research Community of Practices ...................
Bartholomaeus and Rosmawati
From ‘quiz-type’ questions to ‘friendly interviews’:
A story of striving for quality data .......................................................................
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
Abstracts: Session 2
Fairbairn, Holbrook, Bourke, Kiley, Lovat, Paltridge and Starfield
“I will seek clarification of this in the viva”: Purpose and process
of the Viva through the lens of examiner reports .............................. 145
Holbrook, Kiley, St George, Lovat, Bourke,
Paltridge and Starfield
How examiners understand the contribution of
the viva to doctoral examination .......................................................................... 146
Bourke, Holbrook, Fairbairn, Kiley, Lovat, Paltridge and Starfield
Emphasis in examiner reports: Does the viva
make a difference? ............................................................................................................. 147
Gregoric and Wilson
Informal Peer Mentoring During The Post-Doctoral Journey:
Perspectives Of Two Early Career Researchers ................................. 148
Carton and Kelly
Lessons Learned from a Multi-Institutional Collaboration
to Develop a National Framework for Research Supervisor
Support and Development ........................................................................................ 149
Roberts
The importance of honours supervision in supporting
students transitioning from undergraduate coursework to
postgraduate research degrees .......................................................................... 150
Gibbons
Supervisor training: Reflections on practice
and future developments ............................................................................................. 151
McCulloch and Loeser
Does supervision training work? Steps towards a framework
and an evaluation of a long-running induction workshop ........ 152
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
CONTENTS
de Reuck
An impact evaluation of research capacity development
training on researcher excellence among postgraduate
students at a South African university: Preliminary findings .........
Zhou, Chau and Chao
An engineering research postgraduate program with a
professional and global outlook ...........................................................................
Brew, Boud, Crawford and Lucas
The role of the PhD in developing an academic career .............
Omar, Huat and Ideris
Great Expectations: Recognising the Supervisor’s Role in
Postgraduate Research Supervision ..............................................................
Heeralal
Improving postgraduate supervision in a open and
distance learning (ODL) environment .............................................................
Claiborne
Ethical Questions for Supervisors when Students
Struggle to Make Progress ........................................................................................
Abigail and Hill
Choosing a nursing/midwifery research higher degree
supervisor: literature guidelines ............................................................................
Jamieson
Filtering Feedback: Working with HDR students as they
make sense of their supervisors’ comments .........................................
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
Abstracts: Session 3
Ayers
Universities collaborating not competing?
An InSPiRE-ing concept from the West ......................................................
McKenzie, Gallagher, Robinson, Schuck and Solomon
Pathways to research degrees: Qualifications and
experiences of current research students ................................................
Carayannopoulos and Pearson
Social Network Analysis and Research Collaboration;
Bridging the Divide .............................................................................................................
Tynan and Johns
PELA: A JCU Graduate Research School pilot program
to support research students from a Non-English
Speaking Background ....................................................................................................
Towl
Creating productive communities: “Discussing Supervision
@ Vic” and “Shut Up and Write” groups at Victoria
University of Wellington .................................................................................................
Connell
‘Drop and give me 20,000 words’: the Thesis Boot
Camp program .......................................................................................................................
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
vii
161
162
163
164
165
166
Richardson
How can I get the most out of my PhD? Broadening
student experience and skills ..................................................................................
Basham
The tyranny of distance: one doctoral student’s journey in
distance education-from undergrad to postgrad .............................
Willsher
The Rural PhD Experience: How a Feminist Researcher
“Jumped the Gulf” ...............................................................................................................
Miller
The story of a PhD candidate in search of exploring
academics’ epistemic-pedagogic identity ................................................
Sarlow
The irony of Research in Doctoral Education ........................................
Riley and Rayner
From hounding to harnessing: Changing perceptions of
doctoral policy-makers and administrators amongst the
academic community ......................................................................................................
Dowell
What is needed in the student, supervisory panel and
research environment to ensure success in multidisciplinary
doctorates in the absence of a requirement for
preparatory coursework? ............................................................................................
Glassop and Mulready
An examination of a cloud-based software innovation for
academic writing, providing an adaptive, soft architecture
for personal and collaborative productivity ..............................................
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
CONFERENCE WELCOME
Alistair McCulloch
It is a great honour to welcome you to Adelaide for the 11th Quality in
Postgraduate Research (QPR) conference. Every two years, representatives
of the world’s doctoral education community - scholars and researchers,
supervisors, university policy-makers and managers, and research students gather together over three days to share their experience, research-findings, and
ways to improve both their own and others’ practice and also the candidates’
experiences of their research degrees.
This year’s theme is ‘Quality’, reflecting the historical purpose of the conference.
It also reflects the importance of universities ensuring that they provide the best
possible student experience regardng both learning and personal enjoyment
and fulfilment.
QPR has a tradition of excellent keynote speakers from across the globe and
this year is no exception. We are delighted to be able to welcome speakers from
the United Kingdom Council for Graduate Education (Gill Clarke), the European
Universities Association (Thomas Jørgensen) and the Council of Deans and
Directors of Graduate Studies in Australia (Joe Luca). Between them they will
bring a variety of national and international perspectives to bear on the thorny
issue that is quality in postgraduate research.
This conference is unique for its breadth of interest, its global reach, and for
the mix of delegates who attend. I hope you will participate fully and take away
both new ideas and also a renewed enthusiasm for your practice, and also your
thinking about, doctoral education.
Welcome to the QPR community.
Professor Alistair McCulloch
Chair: Conference Organising Committee
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
1
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
CONFERENCE SPONSORS
Gold Sponsor
Student Sponsor
Publisher Sponsors
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
2
Make writing pleasureable
ComWriter is a cloud-based writing p
designed for academic work. ComWr
Remove the noise
modern word processor that treats w
Make writing pleasureable
ComWriter
is a cloud-based
writing
platform
a project:
organise your
writing,
fully-f
Eliminate
referencing hurdles designed
for academic
work. ComWriter
is a sma
Remove the noise
citation
management
built in,
modern word processor that treats writing as
task management and formatting o
a project: organise your writing, fully-featured
Story
before
style hurdles citation
Eliminate
referencing
Make
writing
pleasureable
(references
andbuilt
body)
academic
management
in, tosmart
lists, sta
oneisclick
of formatting
the mouse.
Collabor
taskwith
management
and
of output
ComWriter
a cloud-based
writing
platfo
Story before style
(references
and
body)people
to academic
standards
others,for
invite
to review
your w
designed
academic
work.
ComWriter
Remove
the community
noise
A writing
with one click of the mouse. Collaborate with
modern
word wherever
processoryou
thatgo.
treats writing
available
others,
invite
people
to
review
your
work, all
A writing community
aavailable
project:wherever
organise
youyour
go. writing, fully-featu
Accessible
research
Eliminate
referencing
hurdles
citation management built in, smart li
Accessible research
IMPROVE
RESEARCH
PRODUC
task management
and formatting
of out
IMPROVE RESEARCH PRODUCTIVITY
Story before style
(references and body) to academic standa
www.comwriter.com
www.comwriter.com
with one click of the mouse. Collaborate w
QPRA1401
QPRA1401
others,
invite
people
to review your work
A writing community
available wherever you go.
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
QPR A SHORT HISTORY...
Since 1994 Adelaide has been the host city for
the biennial Quality in Postgraduate Research
(QPR) conferences, sponsored by the three South
Australian universities.
The QPR conferences are now well established as a meeting place for supervisors,
postgraduate students, support staff, policy makers, administrators, members of
government agencies and those who research in the area of postgraduate education.
The conferences provide an opportunity to debate current policies affecting research
education; to exchange views on current research and good practice; and to link staff
and student interest groups.
In the beginning: 1994
The first of the eleven (to date) Adelaide ‘Quality’ conferences held in 1994 was titled
Quality in Postgraduate Research: Making it happen. This conference, by its very title,
indicated a concern with the, then new to Australia, Quality Audits. At the time there
was a sense that universities knew ‘where they were going and could make it happen.’
The specific aim of the conference was to share good practice, and share we did.
Brave or foolish: 1996
By 1996 much of the confidence had gone out of the title and the conference was
asking Quality in Postgraduate Research: Is it happening? This was in direct response
to the results of the three quality audits that had been conducted. These results gave
pause to think as were indicated by the title of the opening keynote: Lessons from the
Quality Review with the final panel session titled Life after the Quality Audit.
What was the new agenda? 1998
Two years later in 1998 life was ‘getting serious’ as evidenced by the title of the conference
Quality in Postgraduate Research: Managing the new agenda. What was the new
agenda? To a large extent it was the West Report (Learning for life final report: Review
of higher education financing and policy) suggesting in Chapter 6 that the community
wanted to get better value from its investment in research training (West 1998).
Could we afford the new agenda? 2000
It could be argued that the 2000 quality conference title Quality in Postgraduate Research:
Making ends meet had an almost despondent ring to it in comparison to the upbeat Making it
Happen of 1994. There was probably room for despondency as the Australian Government’s
Green and White papers had been published in the interim. The Green Paper New
knowledge, new opportunities: A discussion paper on higher education research and
research training (Kemp 1999) and then the White Paper Knowledge and innovation: A
policy statement on research and research training (Kemp 1999) have had a profound
influence on the way in which universities provide research education for students, how
they monitor that experience, and how they are paid to provide that experience.
Internationalising the agenda: 2002
The earlier conferences had always attracted a wide range of participants and strong
participation from outside Australia, and in November 2001 New Zealand higher education
instituted its own postgraduate conference. Following participation by a number of
South Africans in earlier conferences there emerged in South Africa a biennial conference
in the year other than QPR, and there have also been postgraduate conferences
in Thailand. The organisers of the 2002 conference were keen to integrate the
perspectives of various participants and the countries they represented, hence the title
Quality in Postgraduate Research: Integrating perspectives and so for the first time the
conference had two keynote speakers from outside Australasia: the UK and Thailand.
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
4
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
QPR A SHORT HISTORY...
Using our imagination: 2004
The 2004 conference was sub-titled Re-imagining research education in the belief that the
time was ripe for reflection and debate on how best to take advantage of the opportunities
offered in many countries by new national policy frameworks that impact on supervisory
practice and on student experiences and performance. In line with the theme,
participants were invited to frame their contributions in terms of creative responses.
Testing the creation of knowledge: 2006
The 2006 conference provided an opportunity for participants to engage in the doublebarrelled meaning of the title: Quality in Postgraduate Research: Knowledge creation
in testing times. The ‘testing times’ referred to the Australian government’s move to
develop processes to assess the quality of Australian research; e.g. the Research
Assessment Exercise (UK) or the Performance Based Research Fund (New Zealand).
Of particular interest to participants of the conference related to the Research Quality
Framework that had been proposed for Australia. However, not long before the
conference the ‘roll-out’ of the process had stalled with the appointment of a new Chair
of the Expert Advisory panel hence there was a re-think of the issues involved.
The global research environment: 2008
The title of the 2008 conference was Research education in the new global environment
and it attracted outstanding local and international speakers and presenters. The
conference was fortunate in that Professor Barbara Evans, formerly of the University of
Melbourne, spoke from her experience of being a Dean of Graduate Studies in Canada
and Australia regarding doctoral education within the global environment. Barbara also
introduced the three guests; from the USA, France and China.
Educating rather than training: 2010
Ten years after the vigorous debate at the 2000 QPR regarding the use of the term
‘training’ rather than ‘education’ the title of the 2010 conference was Educating
Researchers for the 21st Century. The theme was skilfully addressed by Dr Wilhelm
Krull, Secretary General of the Volkswagen Foundation, Germany. Dr Krull outlined his
vision in using research and research funding to provide opportunities for those in the
global south.
Narratives of transition: perspectives of research leaders, educators and
postgraduates: 2012
The theme for the 2012 conference focused on the multiple transitions that permeate
the world of postgraduate research, both nationally and internationally. Higher
education throughout the world is undergoing transformations like never before.
Universities and staff are undergoing public scrutiny, assessment and reduced funding
while challenges to the core purposes of universities are prevalent. Nevertheless, the
importance of research and research training remain very much at the forefront of the
higher education agenda. Issues to do with quality supervision, research training, timely
completions, high quality publications, and increasing knowledge management and
production are issues that continue to challenge administrators, academics, policy makers
and postgraduate students in the academy. It is of great analytical interest to study
and report on how these transitions and transformations are evolving and impacting
upon higher education governance, postgraduate research, research development and
dissemination, research training, research leadership and academic lifestyle.
Kiley, M -originally published on QPR website
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
5
ABOUT THE VENUE
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
The National Wine Centre of Australia
ed
in
di
e
Ro
ad
Pros pect
Road
Ma
in
No
rth
Ro
ad
M
Road
ce
Road
r
Te
tt
Jeffco
ra
rk
Pa
The National Wine Centre - the venue for QPR 2014 is situated on the edge of
LEGEND
Adelaide
Adelaide’s
architecture
Aquatic stunning Botanic
Le Gardens. The centre combines eye-catching
The University of Adelaide
fe
R
Centre
vr
be
and smooth functionality to create
an exciting otourism
attraction which
showcases
the
e
Restaurant
& Shopping
Precincts
Ter
ra
e
Australian wine industry. Then National Wine Centre cwas
built in the Train
year 2000 as a joint
Adelaide - Glenelg Tram
State cand
Federal Government venture and was officially opened in O'Bahn
October
2001. The
Busway
e
Terra
ace for the architecture due to the unique use of natural
rr
Barton building has won many awards
Te
n
Barto
lighting, metal and wood. From the rammed earth wall to the 150 year old jarrah wood
t
e
e
tr
Sboards used in Hickinbotham Hall, the National Wine Centre has the unique and
floor
rs
Childe
Street
incomparabler feel of being
in a winery or vineyard. Natural products were used to create
e
v
e
o
G
the
building
in
the
shape
and
design of an oak barrel. Terrac
t
e
eet
rr
Te
nn
Ma
Lefev
ace
nell
Str
e
ac
re Terr
O'Con
eet
rni
Street
Je
ha
ng
eet
m
e
Terrac
t
The National
Wine Centre of Australia has planted its own
eeon-site vineyard. Several
Tynte
Str
n
ton
toused
ellingmost
ofWthe
important
red
and
in
the
Australian
Wine Industry are
s
Street white varieties
g
et
Kin
Square
tre
her
grown in theArcvineyards,
located at the Hackney
Road
entrance.
Cabernet
Sauvignon,
S
y
e
nle
rad
t
Sta Riesling are featured
Pa with pride of place.
Stree
Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay,
Semillon
and
e
B nd
eysdeveloped
urn which Australia uhas
21 roisuggiven
The greatest number
of vines
to Shiraz,lboon
a
ham
Ward
Road
B
24
Me
t
worldwide reputation.
e
tre
Street
worth
Moles
tt
Jeffco
Hill Str
Mills
n Stre
Buxto
t
ee
Str
rd Str
Barna
ce
Pla
e
h Av
enu
e
Plac
Smit
dwin
ad
5
North
lai
Terrace
Street
ilway
k Ra
)
eswic trains
rt & K rstate
Airpotion (inte
Sta
Morphett Street
n
West Terrace
ma
Brad
onald
Sir D Drive
Franklin
Gouger
Wright
Whitmore
Square
Sturt
Gilbert
6
Flinders
Street
Franklin Street
Bus Terminal
Grote Street
Victoria
Square
Wakefield
Tram
Stop
Street
Angas
Street
Carrington
Street
D
eq
ue
tte
vi
lle
Te
rr
ac
e
Bartels Road
Street
Street
Street
Hurtle
Square
Street
Halifax
Street
Street
Gilles
Street
South
hen
oad
y
wa
Rundle Road
ad
Wakefield Road
Street
Terrace
Gl
en
el
g
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
Town
Hall
Street
Street
Waymouth
Light
Square
Grenfell
Hindmarsh
Square
Pirie
Frome
Street
Street
Currie
Rundle Street
Pulteney
Ave
Rundle Mall
d
ver
Gawler Place
Hindley Street
Glo
Street
de
Ro
East
de
nic
ta
Bo
Terrace
tre
Drive
Terrace
Adelaide
Railway
Station
Ce
n
a
East
nt
National Wine
Centre of
Australia
tori
William
oa
d
Vic
Elder Park
nm
e
Po
rt A
Plane Tr
ee Drive
Hutt Street
tai
King
ter
Torrens
ad
En
Po
rt R
Memorial Drive
Tennis Courts
d
Roa
Riv
er
Montefiore
17
Kintore Avenue
ive
King William Road
Ro
Dr
250
m
Road
Hackney
Sir E
Golf Links
Gl
en
4
O
ad
l
25
e
ia
S
m
Fro
em
or
r
Palme
r
Wa
M
iss
n
National Wine Centre contains a flexible function
venue
able to cater for 10 to
Fin
on
inn
ck
1000 guests. The centre
Kerm boasts six pillarless function
Ma spaces. The complex also
ode
22
Stre with views of the stunning Botanic Gardens. Guests
features outdoor terrace areas
et
23
P
e
can complete13their National
Wine Centre experience by tasting fine Australian wines, or
nnin
g
ton
City of
0
Terr
ace
Adelaideenjoying a meal from the seasonal
tapas menu in the Cellar Door.
ace
TerrThe
10
26
Street
ways
Strang
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABOUT THE VENUE
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
7
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
GENERAL INFORMATION
REGISTRATION DESK
The registration desk is located in the concourse foyer and will be open on Wednesday
9 April from 8.00am, the conference starting at 9.00 am.
WI-FI
User Name: QPR
Password: conference
LUNCH AND REFRESHMENTS
Will be served in Hickenbotham Hall.
SPECIAL DIETARY REQUIREMENTS
If you have advised the organisers of a special dietary requirement, this information has
been forwarded to the venue and food will be labelled according to dietary requests.
MOBILE PHONES AND PAGING DEVICES
Participants are asked to ensure that all mobile phones and paging devices are
switched off during Conference sessions.
SMOKING
The Conference has designated this to be a non-smoking environment for all sessions
and social functions.
CAR PARKING
Exhibitor bump in and loading
2 x 15 minute unloading parks are located at the western end of the venue, access via
the driveway on Botanic Road before bus stop 1 and entry via the concourse.
Disabled parking
2 x Disabled parks are located at the western end of the venue, access via the driveway
on Botanic Road before bus stop 1 and entry via the concourse.
Guest car parking
Additional parking is available after the first parking bay off Hackney Road and on Plane
Tree Drive in Botanic Park. parking is Adelaide City Council metered parking with up
to four hours, while Hackney Road is all day roadside parking. It is the responsibility of
all guests to ensure that the appropriate fees are paid and that the purchased parking
ticket is displayed. The National Wine Centre takes no responsibility for fines incurred.
Multi story car parks are located on Frome Road, Rundle Street and North Terrace.
Second bay on Hackney Road: metered at maximum 4 hours, 8am – 6pm, Monday –
Saturday, hourly rate of $2.20 per hour
Plane Tree Drive: metered at maximum 4 hours, 8am – 6pm, Monday – Saturday,
hourly rate of $2.20 per hour
Third bay on Hackney Road: metered at maximum 8 hours, 9am – 6pm, Monday –
Saturday, hourly rate of $2.20 per hour
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
8
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
Banking and
opening hours
Adelaide Bank
Phone: 1300 236 344
(7.30am-7.30pm, 7 days)
Opening hours Mon-Fri 9am-5pm,
some are open Sat 9am-12pm
adelaidebank.com.au
ANZ
Phone: 13 13 14 (24/7)
Opening hours Mon-Thurs 9.30am4pm; Fri 9.30am-5pm; some branches
open on weekends
GENERAL INFORMATION
TRANSPORT
Public transport
Adelaide Metro Infoline Bus, Train & Tram Timetables
Corner King William and Currie Streets, Tel: 8210 1000
Taxis
• Adelaide Independent Taxi 13 22 11
• Suburban Taxi 13 10 08
• Yellow Cabs 13 22 27
Chauffered Cars
• Hughes Limousines 8440 0766
• Executive Passenger Service 8353 5233
anz.com
Bank SA
Phone: 13 13 76 (24/7)
Opening hours Mon-Thurs 9.30am4pm, Fri 9.30am-5pm
banksa.com.au
CURRENCY EXCHANGE
You can change your money into Australian dollars at
some bank branches and the following businesses:
Travelex Foreign Exchange
Bendigo Bank
Shop 4, Beehive Corner, Rundle Mall
Phone: 1300 236 344 (7.30am7.30pm, 24/7)
Monday to Friday: 9.00 am to 6.00 pm; Saturday: 9.00 am to 5.00 pm;
Sunday: 11.00 am to 3.00 pm; closed on public holidays
Opening hours Weekdays 9am-5pm,
Saturdays 9am-noon
American Express (foreign exchange services)
bendigobank.com.au
Shop 32 Citi Centre Arcade, 45 Rundle Mall
Phone: 13 22 21 (24/7)
Monday to Friday: 9.00 am to 5.00 pm; Saturday: 10.00 am to 2.00 pm;
closed on public holidays.
Opening hours Mon-Thurs 9.30am4pm, Fri 9.30am-5pm; some branches
open on weekends
POST OFFICE
commbank.com.au
• GPO 141 King William Street
National Australia Bank
• University of Adelaide, North Terrace Campus
Commonwealth Bank
Phone: 13 22 65 (Mon-Fri 7.30am6.30pm, Sat-Sun 8.30am-5.30pm)
PHARMACY
Opening hours Mon-Thurs 9.30am4pm, Fri. 9.30am-5pm, some
branches open weekends
• National Pharmacies Gawler Place, Adelaide
nab.com.au
• Terry White, Rundle Mall
People’s Choice Credit Union
Phone: 13 11 82 (Weekdays 8am-8pm,
Saturday 8.30am-4.30pm, CST)
Opening hours Weekdays 9am-5pm,
some branches open weekends
peopleschoicecu.com.au
Westpac Banking
Phone: 13 20 32
Opening hours Mon-Thurs 9.30am4pm, Fri 9.30am-5pm, some branches
open on weekends
westpac.com.au
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
9
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
SOCIAL EVENTS
Civilized and calm
in a way that no
other Australian State
capital can match.
Clockwise from top left:
Kangaroo Island lighthouse,
Victoria Square, Barossa
winery, Glenelg, Rundle
Lantern in the city, and
Waymouth Street.
The Lonely Planet
South Australia is made up of many regions which
contain beautiful nature, rolling hills and long beaches.
It is often called the Festival State or a Wine and Seafood Capital. True to form, Adelaide
hosts many events such as the SALA Festival, OzAsia Festival, Royal Adelaide Show,
World Life Saving Championships, Santos Down Under Tour, Adelaide Festival, Adelaide
Fringe Festival, FEAST festival, WOMADelaide, Clipsal 500; and the list goes on.
With the fulfilment of mind and soul from the festivities, the fulfilment of the stomach
is the next important factor: a range of cuisine is available to satisfy any craving from
French to Korean. Alfresco dining is also popular with many restaurants, cafes, and
pubs/bars offering this.
WEATHER
April is mid-Autumn in Australia.
While the weather can be
variable, days are usually mild
to warm and evenings cool.
Adelaide is also a highly liveable city, being ranked in the Top 10 of The Economist
World Intelligence Unit’s The World’s Most Livable Cities Index 2010, and ranked as the
Most Liveable City in Australia 2011 and 2012 by the Property Council of Australia.
The average temperature is in
the low to mid 20s, with some
rare days in the 30s.
MIN
MAX
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
10
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
SOCIAL EVENTS
QPR Conference Welcome Wine Tasting Experience
Wednesday 9 April 5.30-7.00pm
Guests will be invited to taste three wines from three premium South Australian wine
producing regions and sampling a selection of antipasto options from the National Wine
Centre kitchen.
An educational experience for guests, our regional tasting stations encourage a relaxed
atmosphere perfect for networking and starting off the conference.
Higher Degree Research
Online Progress Reviews and
Candidature Management
ResearchMaster’s Online HDR Progress Reviews and
Candidature Management solutions help you to
easily manage and monitor your HDR Candidature
requirements.
Create your own eForms and workflows to capture
and monitor:
• Progress Reviews
• Change of Supervisor
• Leaves of Absence
• Changes to Program
• Load Changes
• Extensions
• Confirmations
• Upgrades
• Requests to Conduct
Offsite Research
• Notifications of Intent
to Submit Thesis
www.researchmaster.com.au
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
11
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
SOCIAL EVENTS
Adelaide Oval Tour Thursday 10 April
6.30pm – 7.30pm
Adelaide Oval Dinner Thursday 10 April
7.30pm -10.30pm
On arrival to the stadium, please see
the Stadium Concierge in the foyer
of the Riverbank Stand, access via
South Gate off War Memorial Drive.
Dinner entertainment
As one of South Australia’s most impressive venues – boasting picturesque views of
the hallowed turf on which some of cricket’s most epic battles have been played out,
the City, St Peter’s Cathedral and more, Adelaide Oval has long provided the perfect
location to host private functions and events. The conference dinner will be held in
the Ian McLachlan Dining Room. Dinner will be preceded with a tour of the Oval and
includes the chance to see the Bradman Collection. (For those not privy to the world
of cricket – Australia’s national summer game, Sir Donald Bradman was and remains
the world’s greatest ever batsman and the event will offer you the chance to start to
understand why people the world-over are so passionate about the game. (The latter
sentence is a personal note from Alistair, the conference chair!) The Oval also hosts
Australia’s national winter game, Australian Rules Football – ‘footy’ to the locals.
The conference dinner consists of a Gourmet BBQ Buffet showcasing local South
Australian produce and will be accompanied by a 3 hour beverage package. Bookings
are essential to allow for planning http://www.qpr.edu.au/?page_id=6943 and the
event will provide the perfect, relaxed atmosphere in which to catch up with old friends
and colleagues, to make new ones, and to discuss matters both doctoral and not.
www.adelaideoval.com.au/venuedetail/39/ian-mclachlan-room-west.aspx
Walking map
WA
ADELAIDE
OVAL
EM
OR
IAL
DR
IVE
PLANE TREE DRIVE
TORRENS
PARADE
GROUNDS
VICT
ORIA
DRIV
E
FROM
KINTORE AVE
ELDER
PARK
E RD
UNIVERSITY OF
ADELAIDE
After the event
ADELAIDE TRAIN
STATION
GOVERNMENT
HOUSE SA
PARLIAMENT
HOUSE
SOUTH
AUSTRALIAN
MUSEUM
RUNDLE ST
EAST TCE
RUNDLE MALL
FROME RD
CHARLES ST
KING WILLIAM RD
12
TAN
BO
NORTH TERRACE
NORTH TERRACE
HINDLEY ST
NATIONAL
WINE CENTRE
UNIVERSITY OF
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
PULTENEY ST
Taxi services can be arranged to
return to the CBD at the conclusion
of the evening or delegates can
take a 10 minute walk back across
the river into the city centre.
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
BOTANIC PARK
RM
SOUTHERN
PLAZA
KING WILLIAM RD
Music will be provided by The CASM
Soul Band (Centre for Aboriginal
Studies Music). CASM has achieved
a national and international profile
through its innovative Educational
Programs and performance, research
and community engagement
activities.Since its inception, CASM
has been an innovator in curriculum
development, responding directly
to the identified learning needs and
aspirations of Aboriginal & Torres
Strait Islander music students. CASM
has been described as “the first
important catalyst in Aboriginal
music’s renaissance”, and is
recognised for its leading role in
supporting Indigenous cultural
maintenance and production
through music and dance.
Please note: guided tours cover a reasonable distance on foot and may include the use of stairs,
escalators and elevators. Comfortable, closed-in footwear is required.
S
Where to meet
www.adelaideoval.com.au/107/adelaide-oval-tours.aspx
REN
•a
lternatively the trip will be a
maximum of 7-10 minutes by
personal taxi or car
A cash bar will be available for pre-dinner drinks on the David Hookes Terrace Bar
overlooking the beautiful Adelaide Parklands for those not wishing to take part in the
tour. Bookings are essential prior to the event.
TOR
• the Oval is a pleasant 25 minute
walk through the Adelaide Botanic
Gardens, along the picturesque
River Torrens to the oval (see
map, following page)
ER
• a shuttle bus service has been
arranged leaving the National Wine
Centre departing at regular intervals
from 5.40pm until 6.25pm taking
you to the Adelaide Oval
The Adelaide Oval Tours will take you behind the scenes to the inner workings of this
iconic ground. You will be guided through the stadium by our expert volunteer guides
whose passion for the oval is infectious and their stories captivating. The redeveloped
Adelaide Oval will offer a unique blend of new and old, carefully integrating the latest
in stadium design with famous features such as the heritage scoreboard, century-old
Moreton Bay Fig trees, grassed northern mound and more.
RIV
Getting there
RUNDLE RD
IC R
D
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
SOCIAL EVENTS
Integrated Bridging Program - Research (IBP-R)
20 Year Anniversary Celebrations
Friday 11 April 5.30-7.00pm
Researcher Education & Development
School of Education
20 Year Anniversary
Integrated Bridging Program Research (IBP-R)
RED
The IBP-R at the University of Adelaide is 20 years old this year!
We will be holding a celebration in Adelaide on the last evening of the
Quality in Postgraduate Research Conference
Friday the 11th of April 2014 5.30-7.30pm
Concourse café – National Wine Centre
RSVP by 28 March 2014
Bookings essential via (haven’t made a booking site yet)
For further information contact: Lea McBride lea.mcbride@adelaide.edu.au
The Integrated Bridging Program-Research (IBP-R) started as a pilot project for
postgraduate students in the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine in 1994. 2014
heralds the 20th anniversary of this distinctive program which developed into a
Higher Degrees by Research program across the University from 1995.
Although a number of Australian universities run research education workshops and
programs, the IBP-R at the University of Adelaide is unique in several respects: its
integration into the University’s administrative processes of the Structured Program
for research students; its combination of professional development for supervisors
and skills development for students; and its focus on the enhancement of student
agency alongside language, research writing and research design skills development.
Due to the Program’s recognised cutting edge in these respects, Program staff have
been invited to present on the IBP’s embedded pedagogy and conduct professional
development for university management and English as an Additional Language (EAL)
staff teams in more 13 university contexts in Australia, the USA and South Africa. We
also regularly receive international visitors to the IBP-R to discuss its pedagogy and to
audit its classes. In the past 3 years, the IBP-R has hosted 6 international delegations.
The Program is based on the understanding that the most effective cultural and
academic bridging for international and local EAL students entering an Australian
university is an approach which is integrated with the specific language and learning
needs they encounter after the enrolment process, as they begin to engage in earnest
with the demands and challenges of their chosen specialisation. Tripartite collaboration,
involving a three way dialogue and review process between the student, supervisor(s)
and an IBP research education lecturer, is fundamental in the IBP-R. Through this
approach, supervisors are engaged in professional development related to intercultural
supervision and students develop their mastery of spoken and written research
language genres that is both grounded in their areas of disciplinary specialisation and
informed by the broader academic context of an Australian university.
We welcome local and international guests to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the
IBP-R with us after the end if the QPR conference in Adelaide. Registration for the event
is essential as places are limited.
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
13
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
GILL CLARKE
Gill Clarke has had extensive involvement in doctoral education and related policy development:
at a practical level in a research-intensive UK University and at policy level nationally and
internationally. During a part-time secondment to the UK QAA’s development and enhancement
group from 2003 – 2008, she chaired the working group responsible for revising section 1 of the
‘QAA Code of Practice: Research degree programmes’ (2004). This publication helped to bring
about significant changes to the delivery and management of research degrees throughout the
sector and has now been subsumed into Chapter B11 of the UK Quality Code about research
degrees. Gill is currently involved in the work of other sector-wide organisations, including the
UK Council for Graduate Education (vice-chair), QAA, Research Councils UK, and Vitae’s Impact
and Evaluation Group). She has previously contributed to European and Bologna-related doctoral
(third cycle) events, including EUA and EuroDoc conferences and seminars. Other professional
interests include the assessment of students and quality assurance in higher education. Gill is
currently a DPhil student in the Department of Education at the University of Oxford; the working
title of her research project is: ‘The final examination of the doctorate: a study of how examiners
assess the PhD’.
THOMAS JØRGENSEN
Thomas Ekman Jørgensen is responsible for the European University Association’s Council for
Doctoral Education. His specific work areas are the training of researchers, development of
doctoral schools, doctoral programmes and researcher careers. He has also worked on global
trends in doctoral education including issues such as capacity building and global research
collaborations. Dr Jørgensen studied History and German Studies at the University of Copenhagen
and the Free University Berlin. He received his PhD in History and Civilisation from the European
University Institute in Florence in 2004 and worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of
Copenhagen and at the Université libre de Bruxelles before coming to EUA. As a historian, he
has worked on students and left-wing movements around 1968. He has also published on youth
movements during World War I.
JOE LUCA
Joe Luca is Professor and Dean of the Graduate Research School at Edith Cowan University
in West Australia. His professional and research interests are focused on promoting the quality
of research and research training, supervisory practice, online learning, graduate attributes and
project management. In these fields he has written over 100 refereed journal, book chapter, book
and conference publications. In 2011, he was awarded a grant from the Australian Government
to develop a Good Practice Framework for HDR Training Excellence in Australia, and is also part
of an inter-university team to win a grant to Develop a Toolkit and Framework to support new
postgraduate research supervisors in emerging research areas. He has been recognised for his
work in teaching and learning and was awarded a national award for Teaching Excellence in 2008
(Australian Awards for University Teaching), an Australian CAAUT Citation Award in 2007 and Vice
Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2006 & 2001.
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
14
TIMETABLE WEDNESDAY 9TH APRIL
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
START
DURATION
EVENT
08:00
60 mins
REGISTRATION
09:00
20 mins
WELCOME TO QPR & HOUSEKEEPING
INTRODUCTION TO CONFERENCE THEME
WELCOME TO COUNTRY
09:20
10 mins
PROFESSOR RICHARD HEAD, DEPUTY VICE-CHANCELLOR, RESEARCH & INNOVATION UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA
09:30
60 mins
10:30
30 mins
11:00
90 mins
KEYNOTE 1
Gill Clarke Vice-Chair, UKCGE ‘Evolution of the doctorate: a UK perspective on an international qualification’
MORNING TEA
Paper Stream 1:
Skills for Research
Hickinbotham Hall
Paper Stream 2:
Supervision
Relationships
Exhibition Hall
W1 Vosloo and Barry
W4 Hardy and Hermann
Quality in Proposals for
Master’s Level Research:
Perspectives from a University
of Technology in South Africa
Postgraduate Peacebuilding:
Effectively managing conflict
in the HDR Student / Supervisor
Relationship
W2 Willison
Prepared for the PhD? Student
retrospectives on explicit
Research Skill Development in
the undergraduate years
W3 Blumenstein
Bridging the gap in
Quantitative Skills (QS)
development: stories of
researchers in service teaching
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
15
W5 Ogierman
Paper Stream 3:
Assessment (I)
The Gallery
Paper Stream 4:
Employability
W7 Sharmini and
Spronken-Smith
Challenges presented and
targets met: enhancing
research training to prepare
the next generation of
researchers leaders
The Vines
Paper Stream 5:
The Nature of Doctoral
Education
Paper Stream 6
(ARTA): Research
Administrator Roles
Ferguson Room
Broughton Room
W10 Owen
Examiners assessing
publication-based PhDs
W8 Edmondston,
Azaraidis and Haq
W11 Ohnishi and Ford
W13 Kelly
The spaces of
doctoral research
W16 Brocker
The role of research
administrators in international
HDR student success
W14 Mical
W17 Stenstrom
Examiners’ views of
doctoral theses containing
published work
Student seminar program as a
pedagogical tool for improving
scientific presentation skills in
PhD students
Nomad Science and
Mass Customization for
Architectural Doctorates
Researcher Development
Workshops – Administrators
need not apply
W6 Smit and van Den Berg
W9 Picard and Velautham
W12 Laurs and Carter
W15 Ward
Assisted self-constructing
of an independent
all-round academic
Towards a Thesis
Assessment Matrix: An
action research project
What constitutes good
pedagogy for generic
doctoral support?
How do ideology, expedience,
and ignorance affect the
practice of supervision?
The benefits of embracing
the Education Manager
model for the selection and
management of Higher Degree
Research students
W18 Kumar and Stracke
The Role of Peer Support
Groups in the Development
of Graduate Attributes in the
Research Degree
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
TIMETABLE WEDNESDAY 9TH APRIL
START
DURATION
EVENT
12:30
60 mins
LUNCH
13:30
Paper Stream 1:
The HDR
90 mins
Hickinbotham Hall
W19 Bennett
Feedback for enhancement:
Surveying the experience and
development of postgraduate
researchers
W20 Milos and Kroll
15:00
Paper Stream 2:
Quality Supervision
Exhibition Hall
Paper Stream 3:
Student Progress
The Gallery
W22 Symons
W25 Northcote and
McLoughlin
The proof is in the pudding:
an evidence based approach
to improving the quality
of research higher degree
supervision
W23 Halbert
To agree or to strongly disagree:
What are the most effective
types of research higher degree
student satisfaction surveys?
Student perceptions
and capacities in a ‘quality’
advisory relationship
W21 Shaw, Scevak,
Holbrook, Bourke and Budd
W24 Frick, Brodin and
Albertyn
The Journey Plot: an Innovative
mixed-method approach for
assessing transition in doctoral
learning
The pedagogy of doctoral
supervision: conceptualising
the quality of the studentsupervisor relationship
30 mins
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
Opening doors for improved
doctoral student progress:
Thresholds concepts for
crossing the research barrier
W26 Budd, Scevak,
Cantwell, Bourke, Holbrook
and Shaw
Measuring Doctoral Student
Satisfaction with Progress
Paper Stream 4:
International HDRs
Paper Stream 5:
Knowing the Students
The Vines
Ferguson Room
W28 Boey
W30 Green and Bowden
A balancing act:
The study-work-life challenge
for international postgraduate
students at Monash
University and RMIT
Moral compass framework
that informs decision-making
by people involved in
shaping the higher education
environment
W29 Stow and Mewburn
Why do some new ideas
stick? Or, what higher
education can learn from
public health policy
W27 Mantai and Dowling
Supporting the PhD
Journey: What
Acknowledgements Tell Us
TEA BREAK
16
W31 Racioppi-­Myers
and Haywood
Consumerism in
Higher Education
W32 Brett
An Australian perspective on
risk in research education
Paper Stream 6
(ARTA): Policy
and Action
Broughton Room
W33 Anderson
Summer Research
Scholarships- an excellent
introduction to a higher
degree by research
W34 Scott
Quality - what does this
mean in HDR?
W35 Kearns
ARTA: Working with
Researchers -how to get
things done
TIMETABLE WEDNESDAY 9TH APRIL
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
START
15:30
DURATION
EVENT
Paper Stream 1:
90 mins
Hickinbotham Hall
Paper Stream 2:
Exhibition Hall
Paper Stream 3:
Professional Doctorates
The Gallery
W36 Spronken-Smith and
Sharmini
The PhD – is it out of
alignment?
SIG 1: Developing
Doctoral Students’
Teaching Capabilities
SIG 2: Teaching in the
Doctorate
W37 Dobson, Campbell,
Pyer and Parkes
Application of doctoral
scholarship in health and
social care practice settings
in the UK.
W38 Vosloo and Steyn
Pedagogical implications
in the supervision of MBA
research projects
Session concludes
at 17:00
17:30
2 hrs
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
Paper Stream 4:
Motivation and
Experience
Paper Stream 5:
Approaches to
Supervision
The Vines
Ferguson Room
W39 Zhou and Thomas
W42 Walker,
Pressick-Kilborn
and Sainsbury
Factors differentiating HDR
students in study motivation
and communication
W40 Scevak, Holbrook,
Budd, Bourke, Shaw
and Cantwell
Theorising doctoral
supervision: A sociocultural
approach
W43 Looney
Is there a mismatch between
doctoral students’ conceptions
and actual experience of
PhD study?
Policy on Postgraduate
Research: Adding ‘Relevance’
to the Mix
W41 Vandermensbrugghe
W44 Warburton and
Macauley
Motivations and outcomes
of PhDs for older mature age
students: becoming experts
by doing a hobby
Wrangling the literature:
Quietly contributing to
HDR completions
WELCOME WINE TASTING EXPERIENCE IN EXHIBITION HALL LEVEL 1
17
Paper Stream 6
(ARTA): Systems
Broughton Room
W45 Kumar and Macintosh
RGRAD: University of
Canberra’s online, interactive
tool to manage research
candidature
W46 Lum and Tan
A holistic system for
managing, measuring and
monitoring quality in doctoral
training programs
W47 Castle
UQ HDR Scholarship Rounds
TIMETABLE THURSDAY 10TH APRIL
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
START
DURATION
EVENT
09:00
5 mins
OPENING/ HOUSEKEEPING
09:05
10mins
PROFESSOR WARREN BEBBINGTON, VICE-CHANCELLOR AND PRESIDENT THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE
09:15
60 mins
10:15
15 mins
ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE FLOOR
10:30
30 mins
MORNING TEA
11:00
KEYNOTE 2
Dr Thomas Jørgensen Head of Unit, European University Association Council for Doctoral Education ‘European Doctoral Education: A silent revolution’
Paper Stream 1:
Doctoral Writing
90 mins
Hickinbotham Hall
Paper Stream 2:
Doctoral Research
(Symposium)
Exhibition Hall
Paper Stream 3:
HDRs and Teaching
The Gallery
Paper Stream 4:
Publication Formats
(Cabaret)
The Vines
Paper Stream 5:
Building Effective
Research Cultures
and Management
Ferguson Room
T5 Eley
T1 Aitchison and Mowbray
Shadow writers in doctoral
education?: shades of grey
T8 Hill
T6 Palmer
Benchmarking the
completions process
What happens when
a researcher wants to publish
differently? A vision of the
possibilities – Cabaret as
academic discourse
T4 Grant, Kelly, Burford,
Mitchell, Okai and Xu
T2 Kearns
Writer’s Block:
A light-hearted look
T3 Bastalich
Academic objectivity and
research writing
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
18
Figuring theory-method
relations: Showcasing
new research into
doctoral education
T9 Ryland
Building the ‘teaching-research
nexus’ in a research-intensive
university: the Clinician
Scientist Track at the University
of Queensland, Australia
T7 Tuovinen, Williams,
Buxton, Spence and
Wescombe-Down
Quo Vadis Doctoral Programs
in Private Non-profit Higher
Education? The view from
two providers.
Empowering the leadership
role of research education
coordinators
Paper Stream 6
(ARTA): Candidature
Issues
Broughton Room
T12 Mulcahy, Narayanan,
Pignata, Rajendhiran,
Spuzic, Uzunovic,
Vaikundam and Fraser
Some issues related to
knowledge transfer in
postgraduate research
and education
T10 Zhang
T13 Gasson
Factors influencing to effective
doctoral supervision in Ryland
Management in China
The Examination Process:
Achieving a quality and
timely submission
T11 Jones, Billot and Banda
T14 Crawford
Developing supervisors
through mentorship
Managing conflicts of
interest in thesis
TIMETABLE THURSDAY 10TH APRIL
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
START
DURATION
12:30
60 mins
13:30
90 mins
EVENT
LUNCH
Hickinbotham Hall
Paper Stream 2:
‘Staying the Course’
Exhibition Hall
Paper Stream 3:
EAL Doctoral Writing
& Supervision
The Gallery
T15 Share
T18 Mewburn
T21 Behrend
Lifting the stone on the PhD
viva process in Irish Higher
Education Institution
Quitting Talk: an analysis of
conversations about leaving
research degree study
Research writing for
international research scholars:
more than ‘grammar’
Paper Stream 1:
Doctoral Assessment
T16 Tan and Mallan
‘Attacks in the Doctoral Viva’:
Critical Narrative Insights
from Experienced Doctoral
Examiners
T17 Mccarthy, Clarke
and Rogerson
Communication
Accommodation to achieve
Research Student Autonomy
15:00
30 mins
T19 Beckmann
Paper Stream 4:
Knowing the Students
The Vines
Why I am still here:
The Resilience of Women
Research Students
T20 O’Byrne and Martens
T23
Chatterjee-Padmanabhan
Writing and researching in
the contact zone: This is
what international doctoral
students have told me
Paper Stream 5:
Online and
Submission Support
Paper Stream 6
Creativity & Creative
Doctorates
Ferguson Room
Broughton Room
T27 Smit
T24 Loeser and Harper
Gender and the doctoral
experience: A critique of alterity
T22 Scott
The socialisation of research
students into disciplines
through spoken academic
discourses
Graduate Research School
structures – the UNSW direct
engagement model
12:45 ARTA Meeting AGM
Co-constructed multi-media
on-line researcher development
programme: A non-traditional
mentoring innovation
T30 Frick and Brodin
Developing expert scholars:
The role of reflection in
creative learning
T28 Charles and McLean
T25 Buchanan
The 2003 commencing higher
degree by research cohort
T26 Palmer, Marsden
and Mewburn
Profiling the new normal: a
perspective from narrative and
from enrolment metrics
Online support of HDR
professional development:
Recent initiatives & reflections
on community-building
T31 Wisker and Robinson
T29 Hiss
T32 Hamilton and Carson
Providing a premium
admission experience – can
that boost HDR cohort quality?
Relational Practices in the
Supervision of Creative
Research Higher Degrees
Supervising the creative
doctorate
TEA BREAK & POSTER SESSION
Anthony Tuckett and Amy Spence PhUZd on Facebook: Using social media for creating a community of scholars amongst research higher degree nurses and midwives. Flourished or fizzer?
Christiane Niess, Anna Chur-Hansen, Deborah Turnbull, Sofia Zambrano Ramos and Clemence Due Communication and Co-operation Between Culturally Diverse Research Students
Claire Nimmo and Campbell Reid The Postgraduate Certificate in Researcher Professional Development: a revolutionary approach to supporting academic excellence with employer relevance
Olga Kozar and Juliet Lum Writing Groups for Off-Campus PhD students?
Eddie Blass and Angele Jones Understanding one’s own academic identity before contributing to the development of others’: is this the key element to hdr supervisor development?
Angele Jones Developing a methodology to research the Lived Experiences on the PhD Journey: Critical Reflections from the Students’ Perspective
Muzaffar Igamberdiev and Athar Qureshi iResearcher – Research organizer for graduate research candidates
Daniela Bultoc Developing Independent Researchers at UCL - An impact case study
Sharon Chirgwin and Suzanne Belton Research online student and supervisor support (ROSSS)
Saadia Mahmud and Tracey Bretag Beyond compliance: Nurturing an institutional culture of integrity
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
19
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
START
15:30
TIMETABLE THURSDAY 10TH APRIL
DURATION
EVENT
Paper Stream 1
90 mins
Hickinbotham Hall
Paper Stream 2
Exhibition Hall
Paper Stream 3:
Emotional/ Affective
Dimension
The Gallery
T33 Mantai
Social Support in the
PhD Journey
SIG 3: EAL: The Way Forward
SIG 4:
Supporting Women
Research Students
T34 Holian, Staples,
Burnside-Lawry and
Dalrymple
Journeying the Bumpy
Thesis Roads: Learning and
Exploring Together
T35 Córdoba
Empathy and/or Sympathy:
Research Administrators as
Initial Emotions and in the
Successful Completion of
Research Degrees in Australia
Session concludes
at 17:00
18:30
5 hrs
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
Paper Stream 4:
New Structures
The Vines
T36 Zhou and Thomas
Improving the graduate
teaching assistant experience:
Who and what matters
T37 Greer, Cathcart
and Neale
Helping Doctoral Students
to Teach: Bridging the Gap
between PhD Candidature and
Early Career Academic
T38 Cathcart and Beckmann
In at the deep end: Comparing
different approaches to
developing doctoral
candidates’ teaching skills
Paper Stream 5:
Employability/
Transferable Skills
Ferguson Room
T39 Copeman
Script and performance quality
for 3MT® Three Minute Thesis
presentations: research pitch
meets dramatic monologue
Paper Stream 6:
Researcher Identity
Broughton Room
T42 Kearns
Dr Who: Frauds in Research
Education - The Imposter
Syndrome Explained
T40 Nimmo
The Postgraduate Certificate
in Researcher Professional
Development: a revolutionary
approach to supporting
academic excellence with
employer relevance.
T41 Kiley
How might coursework
in the PhD be related to
employability?
T43 Claesson and Strandler
A Tacit Dream-world Confronted by a Regulated Life-world
T44 Cuthbert, Molla
and Barnacle
The Passionate Knowledge
Worker: Exploring tensions
between Australian Future
Fellows and HE knowledge and
innovation policy discourse
CONFERENCE DINNER AND ADELAIDE OVAL TOUR ADELAIDE OVAL - SHUTTLE BUS AVAILABLE 17:40 ONWARDS
20
TIMETABLE FRIDAY 11TH APRIL
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
START
DURATION
EVENT
09:00
5 mins
OPENING/ HOUSEKEEPING
09:05
10 mins
PROFESSOR DAVID DAY, DVC-R FLINDERS UNIVERSITY
KEYNOTE 3
09:15
60 mins
Professor Joe Luca Dean, Graduate Research School, Edith Cowan University
‘Research training excellence in Australia: a good practice framework for Higher Degrees by Research’
10:15
30 mins
MORNING TEA
10:45
Paper Stream 1:
Doctoral Writing
90 mins
Hickinbotham Hall
Paper Stream 2:
Employability/
Transferable Skills
Exhibition Hall
Paper Stream 3:
Threshold Crossing
The Gallery
Paper Stream 4:
Supporting Students
Paper Stream 5:
Supporting Supervisors
The Vines
Ferguson Room
Paper Stream 6:
International
Supervision Practices
Broughton Room
F1 Smernik and Cargill
An innovative approach to
developing the writing and
publication skills of research
students in science and
technology disciplines:
demonstrated success of
an embedded program
F2 Berggren
and Lundström
Pedagogical challenges in
training doctoral supervisors
F10 Northcote and Williams
F4 Kiley and Ayres
Using learning plans to
support doctoral candidates
F5 Mewburn and Pitt
What employers want: Using
job adverts to talk about
doctoral employability
F3 Li
F6 Zhou
Addressing diversity in doctoral
writing support: Implications
for postgraduate research
training and supervision
Designing and assessing
the learning outcomes of
transferable skills at the
postgraduate level
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
21
F7 Carter and Sturm
The hardest step is over the
threshold: Supervision learning
as threshold crossing
The Researcher’s Little
Helper: The design of an
enabling online resource for
postgraduate students and
their supervisors
F8 Manathunga
Theorising the ‘inter’ in
intercultural supervision:
place, time and knowledge in
intercultural supervision
F9 Johnson
Issues in doctoral supervision:
Strategies for crossing
intellectual thresholds
F11 Wolfgramm-Foliaki
Supervision: a critical space
for Pasifika students
F13 Boud and Ryland
Building research cultures in
doctoral education: the role
of coordinators
F14 Vosloo and Root
Collegiality – How does it
influence the development
of supervisors?
F12 Ford and Ohnishi
F15 Vandenberg
‘Strangers’ or immediate
colleagues: who is most helpful
in developing PhD students’
oral presentation skills?
The well-being of inexperienced
doctoral supervisors:
Perspectives from the
Demands-Resources Model
F16 Cornell and Hjorungdal
Supervision practices in
emerging significant scholars
- Voices from Scandinavian
archaeology
F17 Peng
An Ethnographic Study of
Supervision Leadership Style
in a Chinese EFL Research
Community of Practices
F18 Bartholomaeus and
Rosmawati
From ‘quiz-type’ questions to
‘friendly interviews’: A story of
striving for quality data
TIMETABLE FRIDAY 11TH APRIL
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
START
DURATION
EVENT
12:15
45 mins
LUNCH
13:00
Paper Stream 1:
The Viva/
Assessment (III)
90 mins
Hickinbotham Hall
F19 Fairbairn, Holbrook,
Bourke, Kiley, Lovat,
Paltridge and Starfield
“I will seek clarification of this in
the viva”: Purpose and process
of the Viva through the lens of
examiner reports
F20 Holbrook, Kiley,
St George, Lovat, Bourke,
Paltridge and Starfield
How examiners understand
the contribution of the viva to
doctoral examination
F21 Bourke, Holbrook,
Fairbairn, Kiley, Lovat,
Paltridge and Starfield
Emphasis in examiner
reports: Does the viva make
a difference?
14:30
30 mins
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
Paper Stream 2:
Benchmarking and
Collaboration
Exhibition Hall
Paper Stream 3:
Supervisor
Development
The Gallery
Paper Stream
4: Employability/
Transferable Skills
F25 Gibbons
An impact evaluation of
research capacity development
training on researcher
excellence among postgraduate
students at a South African
university: Preliminary findings
The Vines
Paper Stream 6:
Supervision Process
Ferguson Room
Broughton Room
F27 de Reuck
F22 Gregoric and Wilson
Informal Peer Mentoring
During The Post-Doctoral
Journey: Perspectives Of Two
Early Career Researchers
F23 Carton and Kelly
Lessons Learned from a
Multi-Institutional
Collaboration to Develop a
National Framework for
Research Supervisor Support
and Development
Supervisor training: Reflections
on practice and future
developments
F26 McCulloch and Loeser
Does supervision training
work? Steps towards a
framework and an
evaluation of a long-running
induction workshop.
Great Expectations:
Recognising the Supervisor’s
Role in Postgraduate
Research Supervision
F31 Heeralal
An engineering research
postgraduate program
with a professional and
global outlook
Improving postgraduate
supervision in a open and
distance learning (ODL)
environment
F24 Roberts
The importance of honours
supervision in supporting
students transitioning from
undergraduate coursework to
postgraduate research degrees
F30 Omar, Huat and Ideris
F28 Zhou, Chau and Chao
F29 Brew, Boud, Crawford
and Lucas
The role of the PhD in
developing an academic career
TEA BREAK
22
Paper Stream 5:
Supervision Issues
F32 Claiborne
Ethical Questions for
Supervisors when Students
Struggle to Make Progress
F33 Abigail and Hill
Choosing a nursing/midwifery
research higher degree
supervisor: literature guidelines
F34 Jamieson
Filtering Feedback:
Working with HDR students
as they make sense of their
supervisors’ comments
TIMETABLE FRIDAY 11TH APRIL
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
START
15:00
DURATION
EVENT
Paper Stream 1:
Collaborating
& Pathways
90 mins
Hickinbotham Hall
F35 Ayers
Universities collaborating not
competing? An InSPiRE-ing
concept from the West
F36 McKenzie, Gallagher,
Robinson, Schuck
and Solomon
Pathways to research degrees:
Qualifications and experiences
of current research students
Paper Stream 2:
Supporting Students
(short papers)
Exhibition Hall
Social Network Analysis
and Research Collaboration;
Bridging the Divide
Paper Stream 4:
Research Environment
F46 Riley and Rayner
PELA: A JCU Graduate
Research School pilot program
to support research students
from a Non-English Speaking
Background
From hounding to harnessing:
Changing perceptions of
doctoral policy-makers and
administrators amongst the
academic community
F39 Towl
Creating productive
communities: “Discussing
Supervision @ Vic” and “Shut
Up and Write” groups at
Victoria University of Wellington
‘Drop and give me 20,000
words’: the Thesis Boot
Camp program
F41 Richardson
How can I get the most out of
my PhD? Broadening student
experience and skills
F42 Basham
The tyranny of distance: one
doctoral student’s journey
in distance education-from
undergrad to postgrad
F43 Willsher
The Rural PhD Experience:
How a Feminist Researcher
“Jumped the Gulf”
F44 Miller
The story of a PhD candidate in
search of exploring academics’
epistemic-pedagogic identity
F45 Sarlow
The irony of Research in
Doctoral Education
Paper Stream 5:
Paper Stream 6:
Ferguson Room
Broughton Room
SIG 5: The Professional
Doctoral Candidate:
Addressing the needs of
candidates and supervisors
SIG 6: The Role of the
Research Education
Coordinator
The Vines
F38 Tynan and Johns
F40 Connell
F37 Carayannopoulos
and Pearson
Paper Stream 3:
Doctoral Experience
(short papers)
The Gallery
F47 Dowell
What is needed in the student,
supervisory panel and research
environment to ensure success
in multidisciplinary doctorates
in the absence of a requirement
for preparatory coursework?
F48 Glassop and Mulready
An examination of a cloudbased software innovation for
academic writing, providing
an adaptive, soft architecture
for personal and collaborative
productivity
16:30
30 mins
CONCLUDING COMMENTS (HICKINBOTHAM HALL)
17:30
90 mins
CELEBRATION OF 20 YEARS OF THE INTEGRATED BRIDGING PROGRAM-RESEARCH (REGISTRATION ESSENTIAL)
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
23
QPR2014:
PR14: ADELAIDE
ADELAIDE
KEY1
XX
KEYNOTE
WEDNESDAY
Evolution of the doctorate: a UK perspective
on an international qualification
Gill Clarke Vice-Chair, UK Council for Graduate Education
This talk will address several themes relevant to the quality of doctoral degrees. It will
raise the question of the PhD as a global brand, the impact of structured programmes
on the doctoral experience and its outcomes, including consideration of different
subjects and models, and will also consider standards and outcomes. The session will
also touch on some of the policy and guidance frameworks for postgraduate degrees
and the sustainability of doctoral education. In addition to these general topics, the
presentation will focus on two separate UK research projects relating to postgraduate
education, as follows:
1) International comparisons in postgraduate provision, funded by the Higher Education
Funding Council for England and involving a survey of postgraduate education in eight
countries, including Australia. The project focuses on three themes: Quality, Fair Access
and Impact in Employment and is part of a suite of inter-related research initiatives
funded by HEFCE.
2) A study of how examiners judge the achievement of PhD candidates in the final
examination: perspectives, process and outcomes , a PhD research project. This part
of the presentation will include discussion of a related jointly authored paper about the
concept of originality as interpreted by doctoral examiners.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
24
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W1
Quality in Proposals for Master’s Level Research:
Perspectives from a University
of Technology in South Africa
Keywords: Quality; Proposal; University of Technology
Ria Vosloo
University of Johannesburg
Marie-Louis Barry
Tswane University of Technology
The formal acceptance of a research proposal as part of doing a research based qualification
is a part of quality assurance within an academic institution. A “quality proposal” is seen to
have a high likelihood of successful completion and achieving
the expected outcomes of a master’s qualification.
However, the various stakeholders may have different perspectives on the quality of proposals.
The level descriptors of the South African National Qualification Framework (SAQA, 2012)
articulate the expected outcomes but this has not yet been fully entrenched. In addition to this,
the publication of the Higher Education Qualifications Framework (HEQF) in 2007 requires the
re-curriculating and reframing of the traditional University of Technology (UoT) qualifications to
map on and articulate within the framework. According to the HEQF the MTech qualification
now has the same expected outcome than any other master’s qualification in South Africa. In
this study an intervention was introduced in a faculty within a UoT to facilitate the development
of quality proposals.
The various perspectives of what is perceived as a quality proposal for a master’s
qualification were evaluated. It was found that there are significant differences and the deeper
understanding of these differences will be used to improve future interventions.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
25
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W2
Prepared for the PhD? Student retrospectives
on explicit Research Skill Development in the
undergraduate years.
Keywords: PhD preparation; Research Skill Development; undergraduate
research skill development
John Willison
University of Adelaide
Degree of preparedness for Ph.D. studies is a large factor in the subsequent rate of
progress of PhD students and of workload on supervisors. This study focuses on
students’ perceptions about their preparedness for research from exposure to an
explicit pedagogy to develop research skills across their undergraduate degree
program. In 2012, ten Honours students from a School in the faculty of Health Sciences
of a Research University were interviewed. These students had experienced courses
that used the Research Skill Development (RSD: Willison & O’Regan, 2007) framework
to explicitly develop and assess their research skills in two consecutive First Year
courses, and then again across their Honours year. Some of these students progressed
to enrol in PhDs in 2013, and were interviewed again after the submission of their
Research Proposals. In addition, nine academics from the school were interviewed in
2012 regarding the use of the RSD in the school.
Students strongly tended to state that there were substantial long-term benefits for
them of explicit research skill development across the undergraduate program:
‘Since the beginning [of First Year], they have given us assignments based on this
criteria. You might not have liked the assignments, but because they have been
consistently applying this structure to all of our assignments, we have come to think that
way for science, in the perspective of science and writing … You might not know that
you’re following their guidelines, but you are.’
The idea that a revisited, consistent structure provided by the RSD framework helped to
deeply develop student research thinking processes was a common theme among the
students. Academics too found it important that research skill development is:
‘… dribbled through in these undergraduate years, [because]it then makes the Honours
a lot easier, and then makes the Ph.D. a lot easier, because a lot of students struggle in
their first year [of Ph.D.].’
This context-bound study demonstrates that the guidance provided by the Research
Skill Development framework in undergraduate degrees can provide valuable
preparation for Ph.D. studies and is worth evaluating in other contexts.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
26
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W3
Bridging the gap in Quantitative Skills (QS)
development: stories of researchers in
service teaching.
Keywords: quantitative skills; learning advising; graduate attributes;
researcher development
Marion Blumenstein
The University of Auckland
Quantitative skills (QS) or the ability to handle data and use numerical evidence systematically
are inherent to subject areas where quantitative research approaches are at the forefront.
However, QS underpin effective evidence-based planning and procedures in very diverse
areas in the public, academic and private sectors. It is therefore widely accepted that QS
are important transferable skills all graduates, including humanities and social sciences
students, should gain during their tertiary study in order to become fully-fledged researchers.
In recognition of this, most research-focused institutions worldwide have QS attainment firmly
anchored in their postgraduate policies and attributes. But, in practice, QS are taught in many
different ways, from dedicated postgraduate programmes within faculty or graduate schools,
to out-sourced courses adjunct to the discipline or in centralised learning support units.
This paper provides insight into the experiences of, and challenges confronting, teachers who
bridge the gap between discipline embedded teaching and learning advising in centralised
learning support or consulting units. Interviews were conducted with service teachers from six
research-led metropolitan universities in the UK, Germany and Australia. Thematic analyses
of the interview data on QS needs, the preparedness of students, the provision of effective
ways of teaching QS, and strategic directions for the enhancement of QS university-wide and
across-disciplines will be presented. The audience will have the opportunity to provide their
own insights and so contribute to emerging models of QS teaching pedagogy.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
27
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W4
Postgraduate Peacebuilding: Effectively managing
conflict in the HDR Student / Supervisor
Relationship
Keywords: conflict; conflict management; peacebuilding; postgraduate
research; supervision
Samantha Hardy
James Cook University
Judith Herrmann
James Cook University
In an academic context, conflict (handled well) is important in the development of
knowledge: “Conflict over ideas, research methods, and analysis and interpretation
of data advances knowledge and is a fundamental part of academic institutions. New
knowledge is created by conflict, thus making conflict both inevitable and necessary in
higher education” (Brockman et al, 2011). However, “the graduate education process
involves myriad opportunities for miscommunication, misunderstanding and conflict
to occur.” (Klomparens, 2004). When such conflict is not managed effectively, it can
have significant and negative consequences. This presentation reports on research
conducted at JCU into the causes and consequences of conflict in the HDR student/
supervisor relationship. The presentation will discuss:
•Factors impacting on conflict and how it is managed in the student/supervisor
relationship;
•Typical sources of conflict in the relationship;
•Issues for particular groups of students;
•Typical management strategies of students and supervisors when conflict arises in the
relationship;
•Impact of conflict on students, supervisors and the university;
•Suggested strategies for supporting students and supervisors in relation to conflict in
the relationship.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
28
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W5
The benefits of embracing the Education Manager
model for the selection and management of
Higher Degree Research students
Keywords: Institutional policy and procedures; Recruitment and management
of Doctoral students; The student experience; Quality throughout the
postgraduate system
Monica Ogierman
The Australian Centre for
Plant Functional Genomics
By adopting a comprehensive approach to the selection and management of Higher
Degree Research students, our biotechnology research organisation ACPFG has
reduced attrition and completion times of doctoral (PhD) students. Since 2008, 39
PhD students have joined the ACPFG Postgraduate Research Education program
and to date only two students have left before completion. This means students are
now more likely to finish and finish in a timely manner. Whilst ACPFG is embedded in
a university environment (and therefore works closely with support and infrastructure
of the University), it functions with a high degree of autonomy and is able to offer an
additional layer of support. The centre has an Education Manager and a committee
dedicated to the recruitment, selection (assessment), management and training of PhD
students. The program places great emphasis on the pre-selection of candidates, which
ensures only appropriate students are selected. Incorrect choice of student often leads
to hardship of the student, supervisor and research group. Our selection process entails
several stages to maximise choosing the right student, which will be addressed in this
presentation. This presentation will also outline the management and training strategy
adopted by our organisation throughout the student’s candidature and beyond.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
29
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W6
Assisted self-constructing of an independent
all-round academic
Keywords: Action Research; Developmental Action Inquiry; Developmental
Psychology; postgraduate; research development; on-line mentoring; metaphor;
self-mentoring
Emmie Smit
University of the Free State
Henriette van Den Berg
University of the Free State
The UFS’ Postgraduate School (PGS) aspires to enhance dynamic postgraduate
education and career development. To keep up with international best-practices, works
well for traditional students. However, non-traditional students needed non-traditional
interventions.
In the first Action Research (AR)-cycle the PGS responded to negotiated criteria, and
developed an e-mentoring programme that included components of group- and peermentoring. On presenting this programme, the students identified additional criteria. The
design that followed on this feedback illustrates the value of AR’s participation and coconstructing: A self-mentoring programme that encompass life-long career ownership
skills, as well as the discovery of literature that supported and furthered the passion of
the PGS.
Theories, concepts and constructs of Developmental Action Inquiry and Developmental
Psychology endorse the design.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
30
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W7
Examiners assessing publication-based PhDs
Keywords: publication-based thesis; assessment; PhD examination
Sharon Sharmini
University of Otago
Rachel Spronken-Smith
University of Otago
Examiners are increasingly assessing theses that have publications as it is becoming
popular for doctoral students to include published work in their thesis. Previous
research on the examination process has made very little mention about how examiners
are influenced by published work in a thesis. This study aims to gain insights into the
doctoral examination process when examiners assess a publication-based thesis.
A publication-based thesis refers to a thesis where some chapters from the thesis
have already gone through a peer review process and have been published as journal
articles, book chapters or conference proceedings. Do examiners assess a ‘publicationbased thesis’ in the same way they approach assessing a traditional thesis? To explore
how examiners assess publication-based theses, interviews were conducted with 18
examiners at the University of Otago. The findings indicate that assessing publicationbased theses is clearly different from traditional theses in terms of how authorship is
perceived, the candidate’s contribution, the weight given to publications, the process
of marking and feedback. While most institutions view the PhD as training process
for researchers where for example, multi-authored publications are the norm, some
examiners have a different stance when it comes to examining the outcome of this
process. As such, examiners need clearer guidelines on how to assess publicationbased theses.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
31
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W8
Examiners’ views of doctoral theses
containing published work
Keywords: higher degree research; thesis examination; thesis by
publication
Jo Edmondston
University of Western Australia
Michael Azaraidis
University of Western Australia
Krys Haq
University of Western Australia
As the pressure to publish during candidacy increases for higher degree research
students, interest in formatting theses by publication has also increased. At the
University of Western Australia (UWA), publication during candidacy is recommended
for all discipline areas. However there are few institutional guidelines regarding the
organisation of a thesis and no distinction is made at examination between traditional
manuscripts and those formatted as a series of papers. Increasingly, students are
looking for advice on how to overcome the challenges inherent in formatting a thesis
in this style (such as addressing repetitiveness, omissions, lack of coherence and
inconsistencies in style), how to delineate their contribution when the thesis contains
multi-authored papers, and what role the examiner plays when their papers have
already passed peer review. As there has been minimal exploration of the examination
of theses by publications, there is only anecdotal evidence to use as a basis for this
advice. The aim of this study is to explore examiners’ views of theses that contain
published work to assist students and supervisors in the preparation of these theses.
Using UWA as a case study of an institution where theses can be presented on a
continuum from a ‘thesis containing no published material’ through to a ‘series of
peer reviewed and published papers’, the examiners’ reports for all doctoral theses
submitted for examination during 2012 that contain published material will be reviewed.
Recommendations will be developed from the examiners’ comments that address the
pros and cons of presenting published work.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
32
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W9
Towards a Thesis Assessment Matrix:
An action research project
Keywords: xesearch thesis assessment; thesis examiners; research
supervision; publication formats
Michelle Picard
The University of Adelaide
Lalitha Velautham
The University of Adelaide
A key issue in the assessment and evaluation of doctoral theses is the lack of thesis
examination standards. Although there seems to be extraordinary stability in thesis
comments and assessment levels, this is not necessarily the case with less experienced
examiners as demonstrated by Kiley and Mullins in 2004. Also certain disciplines
such as engineering, humanities and social sciences including education have lower
agreement levels between examiners. Thus there is a need for indicators to clearly
distinguish thesis quality, especially since thesis by publication is increasingly becoming
common in Australia, adding another layer of review which may influence examination
outcomes. More importantly perhaps than examiners, the lack of clear national and
international quality indicators has serious implications for doctoral students and
their supervisors. It is likely that supervisors will have a lack of clarity in articulating
and describing standards of research, rigour and communication to students. Our
experience working with research students has shown that they often are unclear
about when a thesis is ready to submit, what is ‘sufficient’ and what are the standards
required of the thesis document. In the light of these grave consequences, the broad
aim of this study was to create assessment tools to assist supervisors and students
in clarifying expectations in order to achieve successful research writing outcomes.
In this presentation, we report on a research project that has thus far included three
participatory action research spirals. In the first spiral, we developed a Research
Proposal Assessment Matrix which was positively evaluated by research supervisors
and students in focus groups and over a two year period. In the second action research
spiral, a draft Thesis Assessment Matrix was developed. This received mixed reviews in
a survey of experienced supervisors and examiners. The matrix was positively evaluated
as a tool for research students and their supervisors and as a research training tool
in general. However, the respondents were more ambivalent about its potential in
examination. The main concerns raised were its ‘wordiness’ and the need to emphasize
the concept of ‘original contribution’ more. Also, there were concerns that the language
of the matrix was not necessarily universal. An examination of these issues has led to a
third action research spiral. Here, we aim to examine the language used in instructions
to examiners in both Australian and international universities to refine and simplify the
matrix. Some initial findings from this research are also included in the presentation. This
study is significant in that it is the first to propose a thesis assessment tool based on
empirical data and developed through rigorous review and participation of examiners,
supervisors and research students. It is also the first to explore different thesis formats.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
33
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W10
Challenges presented and targets met: enhancing
research training to prepare the next generation of
researchers leaders
Keywords: student experience; research degree management; research
training; graduate supervision; research employability; research skills;
research environment; research culture; Career development for research
students
Caroline Owen
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
A key issue in developing and running postgraduate research training programs
relates to the degree to which additional studies – either formalized coursework, or
other personal or career developmental activities – will facilitate postgraduate research
skill development, and how to monitor that development . This paper provides
an overview of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (Peter Mac) research training
program: challenges presented and targets met. Peter Mac is recognised world-wide
for its excellence in cancer care, research and education. Housing the largest cancer
research group in Australia, and home to leading and innovative clinical groups, we are
nationally recognised as a leading centre for innovative research in all areas of cancer
prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. We are a highly sought after provider of research
training opportunities, and we strive to provide a research training program worthy
of this reputation. Peter Mac is home to about 80 postgraduate students (scientists
and clinicians) from different countries, in a variety of research disciplines and enrolled
through different universities and departments. Our challenge has been to meet the
formal requirements of all research training programs across different universities, while
also providing a research education program to meet the needs of our varied student
cohort. This paper will highlight aspects of the Peter Mac program, including the inhouse management of research training and progress review panels, the development
of broader skills, the importance of the research culture, and the monitoring and
academic oversight of research training and supervision.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
34
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W11
Student seminar program as a pedagogical
tool for improving scientific presentation skills
in PhD students
Keywords: oral communication skills; PhD training; student seminar; scientific
presentation skills; score analysis
Satomi Ohnishi
University of South Australia
Judy Ford
University of South Australia
In recent years the career-paths of postgraduates have become more diverse, hence
postgraduate programs need to incorporate training in generic skills in addition to
research training. Since effective oral communication skills are a critical part of all
careers, training in effective oral communication skills should be an essential component
of all generic skills training. We propose that student seminar programs can be
structured to provide active and highly effective training programs for improving scientific
presentation skills.
In order to test the possible effectiveness of an existing program, we investigated
whether PhD students improved their scientific presentation skills when opportunities
to give regular seminars were provided and students were given written feedback and
formal scores. We present an extensive case study of 97 PhD students who presented
at student seminars over a period of six years. Performances in three major factors
important to presentation skills, namely overall structure of the presentation, quality of
the visuals and effectiveness of the delivery were scored for each seminar. The seminar
scores underwent detailed statistical analysis that identified where areas of improvement
occurred and where there was lack of progress. We discuss our findings from the
viewpoint of student language background and the process of adaptation to academic
culture.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
35
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W12
What constitutes good pedagogy
for generic doctoral support?
Keywords: Generic doctoral support; Postgraduate pedagogy; Academic
identity
Deborah Laurs
Victoria University of Wellington
Susan Carter
The University of Auckland
Our title is not rhetorical: we intend to set attendees the following question and gather
their answers: How do you define a good pedagogy for generic doctoral seminars,
workshops and programmes?
Supervision has received increasing attention over the last few decades; scholarly
investigation has produced a lively discourse with positive benefit to teaching and
learning practices (Grant, 2008; Grant, 2009; Wisker, 2012). At the same time, generic
support for doctoral students has become standard practice in most universities, yet
only one book to date has addressed its dimensions (Hinchcliffe, Bromley & Hutchinson,
2007). We are currently a burgeoning practice without a discourse.
In the aim of extending the debate on generic doctoral support (Carter & Laurs, 2014),
we compiled contributions from 38 academics and practitioners in the UK, USA,
Middle East, New Zealand and Australia. An argument of our book, and this paper, is
that we need to start articulating the value and pedagogy of generic doctoral support.
Accordingly, we propose seven criteria that might be used to assess its quality.
References
Carter, S., & Laurs, D. (2014). Developing generic support for doctoral students: Practice and
pedagogy. London, UK and New York, NY: Routledge.
Grant, B. M. (2008). Agonistic struggle: Master and slave dialogues in humanities supervision. Arts
& Humanities in Higher Education 27(1): 9-27.
Grant, B. M. (2009). Uneasy translations: Taking theories of supervision to teaching. London
Review of Education 7(2): 125-134.
Hinchcliffe, R., Bromley, T., & Hutchinson, S. (Eds.). (2007). Skills training in research degree
programmes: Politics and practice. Maidenhead Open University Press.
Wisker, G. (2012). The good supervisor. Hampshire, Palgrave Macmillan.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
36
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W13
The spaces of doctoral research
Keywords: doctoral education; space; research
Frances Kelly
The University of Auckland
An underexplored dimension of doctoral education research is the space where
doctoral research happens. In researcher accounts of the PhD research spaces
are often conceptualised within a broader idea of the university space yet reshaped
according to such variables as status, whether a candidate is marginal to or fully ‘inside’
the academy, or disciplinary practices, the nature of research work in a field. Although
research activity, material objects and place do impact on ideas about university
spaces, as Maggie MacLure (2003) writes educational spaces are not merely places
nor are they objective locations. This paper will discuss several accounts by PhD
researchers of different spaces of doctoral research. As I shall consider, ideas about
‘research’ are evoked by images of researchers in a laboratory, or by a scholar entering
into an archive anticipating original finds (even despite the shifts since the end of last
century toward archival matter becoming open access). The idea of a researcher being
allowed in to a particular research space, complete with a plastic identification card, is
central to a conceptualisation of doctoral research that is tied up with notions of status
and privilege, access to higher knowledge, safety and belonging, and authenticity or
being in the place of research.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
37
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W14
Nomad Science and Mass Customization
for Architectural Doctorates
Keywords: architectural doctorate; mass customization; design education;
nomad science
Thomas Mical
University of South Australia
The genealogies of doctoral education in architecture can be traced to earlier distinct
academic disciplines, but in the last decade design-based dissertations have changed
the discourse and valuation of qualities. This newer strand, extending from integrative
/ collaborative studio-based learning, aligns more closely with professional doctorates
in other fields. From the sole researcher model of Harvard’s doctor of Architecture,
to the group-thesis model of the Berlage Institute Rotterdam, to the current reflective
practitioner model of RMIT, doctoral architecture education has been customized for
crossing between academic design education and into other industries or audiences.
The epistemological challenge is to produce exemplary design intelligence and a
substantial body of professional knowledge, customized for individual skills and
outcomes, in an increasingly decentralized and mobile profession (an Engaged PhD in
Architectural Intelligences). As such, the under-examined assumption of customization
in architectural design-based doctoral education is here redesigned under the promise
of the Mass Customization movement of industrial production, articulated as a
promise for mobility and innovation within the educational-industrial complex. From the
generated insights into agility and uniqueness as the doctoral values, a new model of
decentralized mastery is offered. It will then be argued that this new flexible model aligns
theoretically with the Deleuzian notion of Nomad Science, and the alternative forms of
knowing implicated in these itinerate models. From Mass Customization and Nomad
Science, this paper concludes with a proposal to imagine a radical type of customized
and distributed emergent knowledge network, as already exists in some industries, and
as seen in the multi-sited doctorates now appearing in some disciplines.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
38
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W15
How do ideology, expedience, and ignorance
affect the practice of supervision?
Keywords: supervision practice; supervision pedagogy; supervision policy;
management of HDR degrees; institutional policy on HDR degrees
Mary-Helen Ward
University of Sydney
It is well-established in both anecdotal belief and in the literature that the supervisory
relationship is the most important factor to success in a PhD in Australia. The Big Book
Thesis, written under the guidance (supervision) of one or more academics, sometimes,
depending on institutional and disciplinary mores, in the form of a committee, is the sole
object of examination for Australian PhD students; thus the success of their supervision
is crucial to their success in the degree.
Supervision is situated within the framework of both disciplinary and institutional
ideology, and is also subject to pressures created by limited resources at both the local
and institutional level. Additionally, although there is a substantial body of literature on
supervision, most academics would not be aware of its breadth or depth, or would
have only a superficial knowledge of it. But, while here may be a theory-practice gap in
supervision, there is a yawning theory-practice divide in policy. Institutional policy is not
only ignorant of theory, but, in addition, rarely takes account of the student experience
of being supervised, being rather based in expedience and institutional beliefs about the
HDR experience.
This presentation looks at how these triple pressures of ignorance, expedience and
ideology affect the practice of supervision.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
39
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W16
ARTA - The role of research administrators in
international HDR student success
Keywords: The student experience; The management of research degrees;
Institutional policy on research training; International research students; Research
student satisfaction and success; HDR administrators; The research and
scholarship of doctoral education
Michelle Brocker
Swinburne University of Technology
Much has been written on the significance of the relationship between HDR candidates
and their supervisors. An under recognised, discussed, researched and reported area
concerns the nature and the importance of the role played by research administrators in
HDR student satisfaction and success.
Administrative staff play a key role in assisting international HDR students to make
informed choices during the degree and scholarship application process, on enrolment
and throughout their candidature, particularly regarding skills training, progress review
and resource provision. Research administrators also often play a significant part in
supporting international students experiencing issues related to the transition to a new
language, academic culture and way of life.
This presentation will explore the nature of the relationship between international
students and research administrators, focussing on its importance in shaping the
student experience. It will also raise questions for consideration around the structure,
resourcing and funding of administrative services with the research environment,
including:
• The structure of the HDR central and faculty offices – does it facilitate or hinder
effective interaction with students?
• The perception of the administrators place in a university’s research community where do they fit and are they valued?
• The personal and professional attributes of research administrators – are
approachable, empathetic staff hired, appreciated and rewarded?
• Training opportunities provided to research administrators - are staff supported and
offered relevant, up-to-date training in issues related to international students?
Finally, the presentation will offer practical possibilities for how universities can maximise
HDR student satisfaction and success by facilitating positive, mutually beneficial
relationships between international candidates and administrators.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
40
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W17
Researcher Development Workshops –
Administrators need not apply
Keywords: Researcher development and training; Administrator development
and training; Development and training access; Academic and administrator functional and training integration; Instructional design
Cecilia Stenstrom
University of NSW
The focus of researcher development and training tends to be on academic
development however, many graduate research programs and projects within
universities tend to require the integration of academic and administrative functions. This
presentation will outline the evolution of the University of New South Wales approach
to researcher development and training access particularly in, though not limited to the
Science, Technology, Engineering and Medicine areas.
The University of New South Wales Training and Development Framework has
progressed over the past three years from a highly selective program based approach
to a “pick and choose” model allowing for increased reach, involvement and
individuals being able to target their specific development needs. It has also resulted
in administrators and researchers attending the same workshops. Responses to
the co- administrator and researcher workshops will be summarised, advantages
and disadvantages from the two participant groups perspectives explored and
recommendations for next steps outlined.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
41
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W18
The Role of Peer Support Groups in the
Development of Graduate Attributes in the
Research Degree
Keywords: doctoral education; graduate attributes; higher education; peer
support groups; research students
Elke Stracke
University of Canberra
Vijay Kumar Mallan
University of Otago
Doctoral study is a learning process for graduates who are expected to meet
outcome goals set out by universities. Many universities see the outcome goals
being achieved through a mix of skills, attributes and knowledge. In this paper we
suggest that peer support groups (PSGs) can play a central role in realising graduate
attributes in the research degree. The literature indicates that top-down embedding of
graduate attributes has met with only limited success. PSGs offer a complementary,
learner-centred opportunity to improve and enhance graduate attribute outcomes of
universities.
By focussing on three particular PSGs we aim at bringing a more learner-centred
perspective into the discussion around graduate attributes. In this paper we present
the experiences of research students in three PSGs in New Zealand, Australia, and
Malaysia, and the results of an exploratory opinion survey that required past and present
PSG members to share their learning experiences about the development of graduate
attributes. The participants favoured five attributes: communication, critical thinking,
self-motivation, research organisation, and teamwork.
By taking a bottom-up approach, this paper shows that PSGs offer an opportunity to
improve the graduate attribute outcomes of universities. Viewing the development of
graduate attributes through the lens of the students adds to our understanding of how
PSGs help them to develop graduate attributes and contribute to university efforts to
instil these attributes by taking into account experiential learning.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
42
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W19
Feedback for enhancement: Surveying
the experience and development of
postgraduate researchers
Keywords: Postgraduate Experience; Researcher Development; Student
Surveys; Quality Enhancement
Paul Bennett
The Higher Education Academy
Nearly 50,000 students from 122 higher education institutions used the Higher
Education Academy’s Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) in 2013. PRES
aims to obtain systematic feedback from current postgraduate researchers in order to
inform enhancements to the quality of their experience. This paper will explain the new
survey design and the evidence supporting it, provide some headline results about the
experience and development of postgraduate researchers in the UK, and reflect on how
Universities are using the results to inform enhancement.
Originally derived from the Australian Postgraduate Research Experience Questionnaire,
PRES was redesigned and relaunched in 2013 to reflect the growing employability and
research skills agenda and to align it with the Researcher Development Framework. In
addition to the widespread consultation and quantitative analysis that helped create
a survey that is both robust and useful, the paper will outline the cognitive testing
undertaken with – and led by – postgraduate researchers themselves.
Headline results from PRES 2013 will be presented, including both the strengths and
challenges for enhancement revealed by the survey, and discussion on the challenges
for supervisors, institutions and policy will be invited. The paper will then explore how
the results are used to inform enhancement, recognising that survey results are not
the last word on the postgraduate experience, but a vital starting point for engaging
postgraduates more deeply in discussions, decisions and actions that enhance the
quality of their experience and opportunities for development.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
43
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W20
To agree or to strongly disagree: What are
the most effective types of research higher
degree student satisfaction surveys?
Keywords: Research Higher Degree; Student Satisfaction Survey; Exit
Survey
Dani Milos
Flinders University
Jeri Kroll
Flinders University
Student satisfaction surveys are one of several tools for measuring the quality of
research higher degrees at Australian universities. The Postgraduate Research
Experience Questionnaire (PREQ), administered by Graduate Careers Australia, is
a national survey collecting the experiences of graduates on seven aspects of their
research degree: supervision, intellectual climate, skill development, infrastructure,
thesis examination, goals and expectations and overall satisfaction. This survey is
almost entirely based on a Likert Scale model (strongly agree to strongly disagree),
meaning that the concerns of research students are not always clearly represented.
While some universities administer their own exit surveys to gauge research higher
degree graduates’ estimation of their experiences, Flinders University, among
other Australian universities, has no such survey. This paper argues that in order to
understand the research student experience and respond to their feedback, a more
comprehensive survey protocol needs to be developed. We argue that there is a
need for an annual student satisfaction survey based on a relative importance scale
and qualitative responses as well as a survey administered at the end of candidature.
The benefits of such surveys, which we are currently developing, will include a better
understanding of the experiences of research students. This understanding can then
inform the procedures of Graduate Research Schools and faculties and suggest ways
of improving services to meet the needs of our research higher degree students before
they graduate.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
44
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W21
The Journey Plot: an Innovative
mixed-method approach for assessing
transition in doctoral learning
Keywords: Doctoral learning; Transition; Journeys
Kylie Shaw
The University of Newcastle
Jill Scevak
The University of Newcastle
Allyson Holbrook
The University of Newcastle
Sid Bourke
The University of Newcastle
Janene Budd
The University of Newcastle
The notion of ‘journey’ has been used to describe personal experiences of the
doctorate (Batchelor & Di Napoli, 2006) and to map the terrain, providing a commonality
of process which lies beneath disciplinary contexts (Miller & Brimicombe, 2003).
However, whilst the journey has been used to elucidate personal experiences of
students completing their doctorate, there has been little attention on how to compare
journeys of multiple respondents across disciplines. This paper examines an approach
used in two large-scale studies to track the journeys of students engaged in research,
using a mixed method approach. This approach pioneers a two way analysis of data
which in all but one reported study (that of Shaw, 2010) has been treated purely
qualitatively, employing the journey tracking method in more than a simple descriptive
fashion and embedding it in a much wider spectrum of analyses than previously
undertaken. The value of this new measure lies in its capacity to make the process of
research visible. The journey plot highlights students’ orientation to research through
their understanding of the nature of the journey, and the highs and lows experienced.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
45
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W22
The proof is in the pudding: an evidence
based approach to improving the quality of
research higher degree supervision
Keywords: Supervision; Evidence-based; Student-focussed; Student feedback;
Policy
Rachel Symons
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is committed to continuous improvement in the supervision of
research higher degree students. To this end we have implemented an evidence based,
student-focussed, and collegial approach to the development of policies, procedures
and guidelines relating to the research supervision. This approach includes: creation of
cross disciplinary working parties tasked with writing policies and guidelines; subjectspecific surveys of supervisors and students; and the use of student feedback to inform
the deliberations of working parties. How do we know that we have been successful?
We have analysed and reported quantitative and qualitative data from the Student
Research Experience Questionnaire (SREQ) at both faculty and institutional level for
over a decade. This allows us to track student satisfaction with their supervision and
provides us with demonstrable proof of this success, as well as identifying opportunities
for further improvement to the student experience. In this paper I will delineate the
process used by the University to develop policies and initiatives, and show how
student feedback, obtained through the SREQ and other surveys, is used to improve
the student experience of supervision. I will provide examples of successful initiatives
we have instigated including: the development of policies and guidelines relating
to supervision; the implementation of faculty specific workshops and development
programs for both new and experienced supervisors; and supervisor accreditation
through the Supervisor Register. All of these have resulted in an increasing awareness
of, and concomitant improvement in, the quality of supervision across the University.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
46
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W23
Student perceptions and capacities
in a ‘quality’ advisory relationship
Keywords: Research Supervision; Research Education; Doctoral Experiences
Kelsey Halbert
James Cook University
Higher Degree Research (HDR) students and their supervisors must respond to
increased pressures for timely completion, a spotlight on the scope and depth of
research training and a profound increase in HDR enrollments across Australia. Existing
research and evaluation of supervisory experiences are focused at departmental rather
than individual level and are mostly quantitative (Lee & McKenzie, 2011). This paper
presents more specific qualitative understandings of doctoral students’ experiences at a
regional Australian university.
My recent research indicated that HDR students from across the university viewed
supervision as the influential factor in their doctoral satisfaction. This is no real surprise
however there is a need to tease out the differences and tensions in perceptions of
supervision quality. The characteristics of a ‘good’ supervisor nominated by students
indicate a balance of “academic and emotional support”. Key characteristics included
accessibility, approachability, knowledge of the field and of the research process,
interest and enthusiasm, regular contact, respect for and valuing of the students ideas.
Students’ notions of ‘the good supervisor’ can identify some common characteristics
but also some variance depending on the individual learning style and previous
experiences. As a result, students’ perceptions of and expectations for supervision can
be very different across and amongst disciplines and stages of the candidature. This
paper discusses the implications of these perceptions in relation to quality agendas.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
47
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W24
The pedagogy of doctoral supervision:
conceptualising the quality of the
student-supervisor relationship
Keywords: Doctoral supervision; Student-supervisor relationship; Identity
Liezel Frick
Stellenbosch University
Eva Brodin
Lund University
Ruth Albertyn
Stellenbosch University
This paper explores the pedagogy of doctoral education in terms of the quality of
the pedagogic relationship between doctoral students and research supervisor(s).
We argue that both doctoral supervisors and students take part in negotiating their
relationship, but that supervisors often take the lead in establishing this relationship.
Literature suggests that supervisors are often assumed to know what makes this
pedagogic relationship productive and ultimately successful, but that – in reality – these
relationships are often problematic, which may influence the quality of the doctoral
process and its outcome(s). We argue that power and identity are key functions in
the dynamics of the relationship and the quality thereof. We use transactional analysis
theory (TA) as a point of departure from which the quality of doctoral pedagogy is
explored. We furthermore contend that supervisors need to recognize their own
identity positions (which we conceptualise as Guide/Warden, Autonomous/Reliant
and Explorative/Pedestrian) and how these positions influence their supervisory
function. Knowledge of the identity positions of their students at a specific stage will
help supervisors to negotiate, be responsive and adapt to these relative positions. We
make the proposition that supervisors do not often position themselves only within
one of these positions, as supervision requires dynamic flexibility in the supervisor’s
own identity positions in order to fulfil their supervisory functions. Thus we suggest that
supervision quality may be enhanced by the supervisors’ ability to reflect upon their own
identity positions and hence encounter the students’ identity positions in negotiating
and constructive ways.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
48
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W25
Opening doors for improved doctoral
student progress: Thresholds concepts for
crossing the research barrier
Keywords: doctoral students; postgraduate students; postgraduate supervisors;
threshold concepts; research milestones
Maria Northcote
Avondale College of Higher Education
Catherine McLoughlin
Australian Catholic University
The journey through a doctoral candidature can be a challenging and emotional
experience for both the candidate and their supervisors. Doctoral students are often
known to experience “stuckness”, reach “brick walls” and experience “mental blocks” at
various stages in their research. These barriers can prevent the progression or “learning
leaps” of the candidate through key threshold research milestones of the doctoral
degree. Supervisors typically take on the role of guide, coach and mentor throughout
the process while enacting their conceptions of the research process. Identification of
the threshold concepts and skills required of a postgraduate candidate can assist the
developmental journey experienced by both students and their supervisors.
Findings from an analysis of the guidance provided to potential and current doctoral
students, a collection of milestones, skills and desirable competencies emerged.
However, further analysis indicates that essential threshold concepts identified in the
research literature are not in evidence on university websites. There appears to be a
disconnect between the emphasis on procedural milestones on these sites, which are
intended as guidelines for potential students, and essential research concepts and skills
(that is, threshold concepts) that students require on the doctoral journey. Awareness
of these transformative stages in a typical doctoral program of study may enable
supervisors to assist their students to advance through these conceptual barriers. The
research recommends that identification of the threshold concepts and skills required
of a postgraduate candidate can assist the developmental journey experienced by both
students and their supervisors.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
49
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W26
Measuring Doctoral Student Satisfaction
with Progress
Keywords: PhD candidature; satisfaction with progress; well-being;
self-regulation
Janene Budd
University of Newcastle
Jill Scevak
University of Newcastle
Robert Cantwell
University of Newcastle
Sid Bourke
University of Newcastle
Allyson Holbrook
University of Newcastle
Kylie Shaw
University of Newcastle
Efforts to assist PhD students to monitor their progress through the challenges
of doctoral research are not new, but there has been little empirical study of their
effectiveness for students or their utility as predictors of completion or withdrawal.
Further, there has been inadequate study of the individual differences associated with
how PhD students monitor and self-regulate their behaviour through candidature.
This longitudinal study examined, using online surveys across a 12 month period, the
relationships between measures of PhD student satisfaction with progress, well-being,
state hope, enrolment status, and the perceptions of students of the survey process.
Over 700 PhD students from universities across Australia, New Zealand, UK, Canada,
and South Africa participated in this study, representing all stages of candidature and a
wide range of disciplines.
While satisfaction with progress, well-being, and state hope levels were positively
correlated, their relationships with stages of candidature, age, and enrolment status at
12 months varied. These findings highlight the value of different measures for different
purposes, and their ability to alert students to problematic levels or patterns of scores
which may affect the quality of their PhD experience. Most importantly, the results
provide evidence of how students have used these measures to monitor their progress,
to increase their awareness of the impact of various factors on their candidature, and to
implement changes to address problems with their progress.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
50
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W27
Supporting the PhD Journey:
What Acknowledgements Tell Us
Keywords: acknowledgement; higher degree research; student support;
doctoral journey
Lilia Mantai
Macquarie University
Robyn Dowling
Macquarie University
The quality of the PhD experience is of intense interest to researchers and universities
alike, and both identify the role of support networks as crucial to PhD experience and
PhD completion. Our aim in this paper is to explore the types of interdependencies
that PhD candidates identify as important in a successful PhD journey. To do so we
use an under utilised yet rich data source: PhD thesis acknowledgements. The paper
employs a sample of 79 PhD acknowledgements drawn from diverse disciplines within
Australian universities. We illustrate the forms of social support provided, who and
what is acknowledged as providing support, and the intersections between the forms
and providers of support. Key findings of the paper are that three types of support are
evident – academic, technical, and emotional – and that supervisors, families, friends
and colleagues are acknowledged for providing all three forms of support. The study
confirms the critical place of candidates’ networks in the PhD journey, broadens the
view of what constitutes support and identifies the range of individuals involved in the
process. Further, it identifies potential in acknowledgements as a source of evidence of
social support.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
51
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W28
A balancing act: The study-work-life challenge
for international postgraduate research students
at Monash University and RMIT.
Keywords: student experience; international postgraduate research student;
employment; family responsibilities
Janice Boey
Monash Postgraduate Association
This paper examines the overseas education experience of international postgraduate
research students (referred to in this paper as IPGRS) studying at two highly
internationalised Australian universities. It places particular emphasis on the ability of
these students to balance and integrate research study with many aspects of life that
take place outside the university, such as employment and family responsibilities. In
the context of growing IPRGS numbers relative to the proportion of all postgraduate
research students across Australia, and the crucial need to attract more research
students to Australia to ensure the ongoing international competitiveness of Australia’s
higher education sector (Australian Education International, 2013), there is a need to
understand the different and complex ways in which successful international higher
education participation may be linked to various aspects of life. Using data from a social
survey of 190 IPGRS and supplemented with four qualitative focus group interviews,
this papers reports on the study-work-life dimension as experienced by IPGRS and
the strategies taken that make the onerous act of balancing study-work-life feasible for
IPGRS.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
52
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W29
Why do some new ideas stick? Or, what higher
education can learn from public health policy
Keywords: policy; change management; resistance; process improvement;
human capital
Sarah Stow
RMIT University
Inger Mewburn
Australian National University
Ask any administrator or academic working in higher education about their latest project
and you’ll inevitably hear them complain about the glacial pace of adoption of new
measures, policy or processes, even when those changes deliver positive outcomes for
both academics and students alike.
In public health policy, where arguably the stakes are higher, this issue has received
some attention. In a recent article, Atul Gawende explores the reasons why the medical
profession adopted anaesthesia so quickly and yet took nearly 30 years to recognise
the value of hygiene and aseptic surgery? Both profoundly changed the way medicine
is practiced and improved the outcomes for patients but one took nearly a generation
longer to become accepted and adopted into widespread practice.
Through case studies, we illustrate how an analysis of public health policy can lend
us insight into some of the entrenched, well-intentioned, but often minimally effective
educational research training practices that universities adopt. We explore how solutions
now being offered to some of the intractable issues in public health might provide ways
forward for engaging meaningfully and successfully with academic staff, where success
is defined by long-term measurable change in practice which leads to measurable
improvements for the outcomes for candidates.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
53
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W30
Moral compass framework that informs
decision-making by people involved in shaping
the higher education environment
Keywords: Moral compass; Decision making; Framework; Supervisor and
Candidate’s experience
Pam Green
Swinburne University of Technology
The paper focuses on a moral compass framework that informs decision-making
by people involved in shaping the higher education environment (Bowden & Green,
submitted for publication) and is explained using the doctoral education system
as example, and supervisor and candidate experiences from a qualitative research
study as illustration. The framework has been derived from the integration of a range
of theoretical constructs: Rittel and Webber’s (1973) ‘wicked’ problems; Bowden’s
(2004) capability for the unknown future; Baillie, Bowden and Meyer’s (2013) threshold
capability development; liminality (Meyer & Land 2006); mindfulness (Langer &
Moldoveanu 2000; Green & Bowden 2012); as well as the authors’ interpretation of
moral compass and collective morality. The framework can be applied to a wide range
of contexts, with broader, potentially universal implications for professional life. It relates
individual decision-making using a moral compass to notions of collective morality and
moral development at all levels of a system through the newly defined roles of moral
advocate and moral mediator. Their roles include facilitation of individual moral compass
development, and the development and application of collective morality within the
system.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
54
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W31
Consumerism in Higher Education: The Dichotomy
between Students as Learners and Students as
Customers and how Higher Education Institutions
must decide to whom they cater.
Keywords: Consumerism; Higher Education; Learners; Customers; Dichotomy
Felicita Racioppi-Myers
University of Missouri-St. Louis
This paper will discuss the differences between students as learners and students as
customers and how higher education institutions must decide to whom they cater.
In attracting learners to their campuses, universities must understand what they are
“selling.” Is it an ambitious academic experience designed to produce leaders or is it
to attract as many consumers as possible to expand their revenue base? Resisting
treating students as consumers and fostering their sense of being part of ‘a community
of learners’ is key to a quality student experience” (Attwood, 2008). Students will
remember high quality instruction and academically challenging classes. It is these very
attributes that will last long after the college experience is ended.
Reference
Attwood, R. (2008). “We must focus on students as learners” | General | Times Higher Education.
The Times Higher Education Supplement. Retrieved October 06, 2013, from http://www.
timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/we-must-focus-on-students-as-learners/401958.article
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
55
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W32
An Australian perspective on
risk in research education
Keywords: quality assurance; risk; higher degree research
Kevin Brett
Australian National University
Research training is central to the purpose of a university though research, by its very
nature, carries a high level of risk. The increasingly international nature of research
education raises interesting challenges for quality assurance and the effectiveness
of the national regulator. A study of how risk related to higher degree research (HDR)
is approached and managed by universities might inform the current debates about
risk-based regulation in higher education. This paper reports on a study of how risk in
the context of HDR is interpreted by senior managers and executive members from six
Australian universities. The data were collected in 2010–11, at a time when Australian
higher education was on the cusp of a move from quality assurance predicated on
fitness for purpose to a risk-based regulatory framework. The tensions between
changing Australian Government regulatory policy and institutional practice, and the
contradictions inherent in conflicting constructions of risk held by the protagonists, are
explored in the context of contemporary risk theories. The study indicates the extent
and diversity of opinion as to what constitutes risk specific to research training, and
how this risk is managed. The various perspectives reflect institutional views on risk,
as well as approaches to risk management consistent with interviewees’ professional
roles. These perspectives, taken together, suggest an emerging framework for risk
management that may serve quality assurance requirements appropriate to research
education.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
56
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W33
Summer Research Scholarships- an excellent
introduction to a higher degree by research
Keywords: Summer Research Scholarships; Student experience; Research
administration; Higher degrees by research
Christine Anderson
University of Sydney
The Sydney Medical School Summer Research Scholarship (SRS) scheme was
established in 2004 as a means to recruit talented students from science-based
disciplines into postgraduate research study and ultimately into research careers, as
well as to encourage PhD enrolments at institutes and centres which had the capacity
to support more students. This presentation will provide an overview of the SRS
including its rationale, implementation and evaluations provided by students as a means
to illustrate how such schemes can be administered to achieve positive outcomes.
Each year Sydney Medical School funds up to 60 scholarships across its network of
clinical schools and institutes. The students are offered an 8 week apprenticeship with
an accomplished career scientist during the summer vacation. Students are exposed to
a broad range of basic research skills during their project, including data collection, lab
work, analysis, presenting research outcomes and writing reports.
Evaluations and analysis of student feedback related to the scheme have indicated
that it provides a good pathway to higher degree research as well as providing the
opportunity for students to publish papers and present at conferences. As a result, the
SRS has proven to be an excellent research training pathway and has been strongly
supported from within the Faculty and as well as by external donors.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
57
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W34
ARTA: Quality – what does this mean in HDR?
Keywords: Quality; Supervisor; Student; Supervision; Training
Jennifer Scott
Monash University
“Quality versus quantity” is a phrase commonly used with regards to Higher Degree by
Research (HDR) training. It is a driver for HDR student recruitment that focuses on the
skills and attributes of an individual, rather than simply aiming for the largest possible
cohort. What defines quality though? And how do you measure this? Does a ‘quality’
applicant lead to a ‘quality’ student and successful completion?
The term ‘quality’ can also be applied to HDR supervisors. To ensure the delivery
of excellent research training we require the finest supervision from our academics.
However, what defines a quality supervisor?
This presentation will explore the interpretation of quality as it applies to HDR candidates
and supervisors, and what support or training we can provide to create the best
possible research training environment.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
58
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W35
ARTA: Working with Researchers how to get things done
Keywords: Research administrators; Researchers; Strategies
Hugh Kearns
Flinders University
This session is based on a workshop that was run for ARMS(WA) in 2013 and received
extremely positive feedback. It highlights some of the strategies research administrators
can use to work successfully with researchers. These strategies are based on many
years experience of working with both researchers and research administrators as well
as the latest psychological and educational research. They include:
A model called the second person shift - which means learning how to look at
something from another person’s point of view - in this case trying to understand things
from a researcher’s point of view. In most cases they are not trying to be difficult - they
just have other priorities.
The difference between what SHOULD happen and what really happens. We get
annoyed when things don’t happen in the way we want. We tend to blame others. We
say they SHOULD. And while it’s easy to blame other people it doesn’t make a whole
lot of difference. This is where people say “but it’s not fair”. But what do you do even if it
isn’t fair?
Strategies that do work. A look at some of the approaches adminstrators have tried that
have had success. And the opportunity to share some good practice.
This session provides an opportunity to reflect on your own experiences and hear about
the experiences of your colleagues who face similar issues
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
59
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W36
The PhD – is it out of alignment?
Keywords: constructive alignment; PhD; doctoral education; outcomes;
assessment
Rachel Spronken-Smith
University of Otago
Sharon Sharmini
University of Otago
Aspects of doctoral education have undergone substantial change in recent years,
and we argue that as a result many PhDs programmes may be out of alignment. We
draw on the concept of ‘constructive alignment’ (Biggs, 1999) who proposed that
learning outcomes should be well aligned with teaching and learning methods and the
assessment regime. The learning outcomes for doctoral candidates have expanded
considerably in recent years in response to the desire to graduate candidates with a
wider skill set, well equipped for a range of jobs beyond academia. Corresponding to
this, in some programmes, the teaching and learning activities have altered, so rather
than just doing a supervised project, candidates now often take workshops and courses
to gain a broader skill set. However, the assessment has remained much the same,
narrowly focussed on a written thesis and, in some cases, an oral defence. The rise of
professional doctorates has allowed a rethinking of doctoral education. For example,
the outcomes might include professional competency so the teaching methods involve
professional practice and the assessment often uses a portfolio approach, allowing
examiners to be assured candidates are meeting the various outcomes. Professional
doctorate portfolios may include evidence of having met certain competencies (e.g.
clinical), as well as leadership, project management, and communication in a range of
modes etc. But where does this leave doctoral education for traditional PhDs? In this
session we will discuss this issue to envision what doctoral education could look like
and how alignment might be achieved.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
60
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W37
Application of doctoral scholarship in health
and social care practice settings in the UK.
Keywords: Professional Doctorate; Translation; Professional practice
Mary Dobson
University of Northampton
Jackie Campbell
University of Northampton
Michelle Pyer
University of Northampton
Jackie Parkes
University of Northampton
Within the health and social care sector in the UK there is a clear imperative for
advanced, independent and specialist practitioner status to be linked with educational
achievement at doctoral level. Specifically, professional workers need the opportunity
to develop the skills required to apply the research-based, analytical approaches
to problem solving that are the hallmarks of doctoral level study within a practice
context and to demonstrate improvements in service delivery. Professional doctorate
programmes are essential to the development of such skills where there is a strong
element of work-based learning that, in turn, is mediated by intellectual understanding
and critical reflection. The professional doctorate, as compared to the traditional PhD
route, offers students the opportunity to make a unique contribution to their subject
area which is both grounded in and applied to professional practice rather than the
generation of pure ‘academic knowledge’.
Despite the intuitive alignment between the professional doctorate study and application
of knowledge in practice, there is a paucity of literature documenting how such students
apply such learning in the workplace.
In order to explore this issue further qualitative data were collected from health and social
care practitioners currently registered for a professional doctorate programme in the UK.
The research explored their experiences of doctoral study within the context of their
professional roles with particular reference to the translation of scholarship into practice.
Findings of the study will be discussed in relation to personal and professional factors
and the students’ perceptions of the context of research within the professional role.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
61
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W38
Pedagogical implications in the supervision
of MBA research projects
Keywords: Pedagogy; MBA Research; Doctoral Research; Supervision
Ria Vosloo
University of Johannesburg
Renier Steyn
University of South Australia
The Masters of Business Administration (MBA) and similar degrees where coursework is
part of the study requires students to obtain knowledge acquisition and to generate of
knowledge through research. This implies significant challenges (Manathunga, Kiley, Boud
and Cantwell 2012). The research project in coursework based masters programmes
has a relatively low weight in the curriculum but is one of the main obstacles to completion
of the qualification. There are many specific challenges in supervision of MBA research
projects including student preparedness for independent research, the academic literacy of
MBA students (De Coning 2010) and the fact that students have no choice about doing such a
research project. If the challenges implied by massification are superimposed the situation
becomes more complex. Supervisory practice is influenced by the mode of study (Hammond
et al 2010) and the pedagogy of a supervisor might differ, depending on the situation.
In this study supervisory roles, as one of the elements in the pedagogical framework developed
by Bruce and Stoodley (2012) will be investigated. A focus group, consisting of academics
with experience in supervision of both limited scope master’s research students and
doctoral candidates, was used to explore the difference in the roles played by supervisors.
The various roles that supervisors play in supervision of MBA (and other limited scope
masters research) and doctoral research has been investigated and compared. There are
significant differences, especially if massification is considered as a mediating variable.
References
Bruce, Christine S., and Ian D. Stoodley. “Resources to assist research student supervision.”
Brisbane: Queensland University of Technology. (2012).
De Coning, Deborah Jean. “MBA students’ experiences of academic writing: a case study.” PhD
thesis. Johannesburg: University of the Witwatersrand. (2010).
Hammond, Jennifer, Kevin Ryland, Mark Tennant, and David Boud. “Building research supervision
and training across Australian Universities.” University of Technology, Sydney: Australian Learning
and Teaching Council (2010).
Manathunga, Catherine, Margaret Kiley, David Boud, and Robert Cantwell. “From knowledge
acquisition to knowledge production: issues with Australian honours curricula.” Teaching in Higher
Education 17, no. 2 (2012): 139-151.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
62
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W39
Factors differentiating HDR students in study
motivation and communication
Keywords: Higher-degree-research student; Motivation; Communication
Catherine Zhou
Hong Kong University of Science
and Technology
Keith Thomas
Victoria University
Higher-degree-research (HDR) students are the driving force of research development
in Hong Kong. In the past decade, the composition of the HDR student population
in Hong Kong has changed greatly mainly because of the increasing enrollment of
Mainland China-sourced students. This change encourages educators and researchers
to renovate the HDR education supporting mechanism. Few studies have put focus
on the HDR students of Hong Kong universities. Using demographic factors and
disciplines, this study examines the first-year HDR student experience in two aspects:
(1) the motivation to enter the research program and (2) willingness to be blended in
the new academic community. Significant difference is found between local (Hong
Kong) and non-local (Mainland China and overseas) students. The study motivation
of non-local students is more related to career development and the improvement of
life standard. At the same time, they are more willing to communicate with research
supervisors about the career development plan, interact with peers, and be part of the
new academic community. Significant difference is also found in the cross-discipline
analysis. Students in arts and social science have a more active study motivation,
such as “I want a chance to develop as a person, broaden my horizons, and face new
challenges,” and “I will be able to study subjects in depth.”, compared with students
in engineering and science. They also present stronger intention to communicate and
interact with others.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
63
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W40
Is there a mismatch between doctoral students’
conceptions and actual experience of PhD study?
Keywords: Expectations; Doctorate; Mismatch
Jill Scevak
University of Newcastle
Allyson Holbrook
University of Newcastle
Janene Budd
University of Newcastle
Sid Bourke
University of Newcastle
Kylie Shaw
University of Newcastle
Robert Cantwell
University of Newcastle
Doctoral study is intended to produce new knowledge in various fields, such as
scientific, human, cultural, moral and ethical. If the expectations associated with
doctoral study are concerned primarily with making a significant contribution to the field,
then the question “What does it take to generate an original contribution?”
The aim of this study was to explore individual doctoral students’ conceptions of
doctoral study. Interview data was collected from a sub-sample of 106 doctoral
students at varying stages of candidature who undertook a telephone interview as part
of a larger group who were surveyed about doctoral learning. The candidates were
questioned directly about their initial expectation of what they expected was involved
in doing a doctorate. The results revealed differences between students’ conceptions
of the doctoral task as well as mismatches between their conceptions of doctoral
study and their actual experience. Students enter the world of PhD study with naïve
conceptions of what a PhD is, they are able to say its different but only in quantitative
forms, as a result they are in the dark/unprepared for the intellectual and emotional
challenges that they will encounter Implications for supervisor pedagogy are discussed.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
64
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W41
Motivations and outcomes of PhDs for older mature
age students: becoming experts by doing a hobby
Keywords: Mature age students; Doctoral degrees; Higher education; Identity;
Educational outcomes
Joelle Vandermensbrugghe
University of Canberra
This presentation reports on a study exploring older mature age students’ motives for
starting a PhD, as well as outcomes of the PhD. The study was motivated by a desire
to explore the significance of doctoral degrees against the background of changing
educational priorities. Little qualitative research has been carried out about older mature
age doctoral students, who represent about 14% of the doctoral population in Australia.
Why do these students engage in a doctoral degree and what do they get out of it? are
some of the questions the study sought to explore. The study adopted a hermeneutic
phenomenological approach, as set out by Paul Ricoeur. Data for the study was derived
from open interviews conducted with six PhD graduates, who started a PhD when they
were over 50 and had graduated at least three years before being interviewed. Identity
negotiations – with self and others – were found to inform many of the graduates’
directions taken. The study also found that enjoyment of learning and developing
knowledge were major motives, as well as major outcomes of the degree. The
enjoyment derived from research and study encouraged graduates to see themselves
as ‘hobbyists’. This definition sits in contradiction with that of ‘experts’ but has not
prevented them from continuing to be actively involved in their chosen field, building on
developed skills and knowledge and strengthening their identities as ‘experts’ by riding
on the credibility conferred to the degree.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
65
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W42
Theorising doctoral supervision:
A sociocultural approach.
Keywords: Sociocultural; pedagogy; doctoral
Richard Walker
University of Sydney
Kimberley Pressick-Kilborn
University of Technology, Sydney
Erica Sainsbury
University of Sydney
Sociocultural theories, which have their origins in the work of Russian psychologist Lev
Vygotsky, have been important for understanding human development, learning and
motivation. As doctoral supervision involves the intellectual development (in addition
to other forms of development) of the novice researcher, as well as their learning
and motivation, it makes good sense to consider that sociocultural theories might
contribute to existing models of effective supervision. In this presentation we develop a
sociocultural approach to doctoral supervision which draws on the unified sociocultural
framework which has guided our own sociocultural writings in learning and motivation
(for eg. Walker, Pressick-Kilborn, Sainsbury & MacCallum, 2010). It also draws on our
relationships as doctoral supervisor (Richard Walker) and former doctoral students
(Kimberley Pressick-Kilborn, Erica Sainsbury).
This unified sociocultural framework explains the relevance of the following concepts for
doctoral supervision: culture and cultural practices, canalisation and self-canalisation,
the zone of proximal development, transformative internalisation and externalisation,
interpersonal relations, intersubjectivity and co-regulation. Taken together, these
concepts offer a theoretically and empirically valid model of doctoral supervision which
explains aspects of the supervision process not cohesively addressed by other models
including: how doctoral students become enculturated into the research practices of
their discipline; how supervisors adjust their support during the course of a student’s
candidature; how interaction with other doctoral candidates is beneficial for the
research student; and how students develop an identity as a researcher. The better
understanding of doctoral supervision provided by the unified sociocultural approach
also provides a basis for improving the supervisory process.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
66
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W43
Policy on Postgraduate Research:
Adding ‘Relevance’ to the Mix
Keywords: policy drivers in research; researcher experience; impact of policy;
institutional role in research quality
Lisa Looney
Dublin City University
The Irish policy context from the early 2000’s was one of support for greatly increased
numbers of doctorate places, and in recent years emphasis has shifted to development
and adoption of a national framework for doctoral education, regional clustering of
provision and alignment with national and institutional priorities. The last 10 years have
delivered significant systemic change, much of it facilitated by a highly engaged network
of Deans of Graduate Studies, under the auspices of the Irish Universities Association
(IUA). Irish researchers have been to the fore in Europe in developing models of structured
PhD programmes and the IUA was active in developing the European Commission’s
Principles of Innovative Doctoral Education which will be reflected in funding criteria for
international doctoral networks and programmes under Horizon 2020.
Against this backdrop, this paper explores the concept of relevance as part of an overall
doctoral education framework and, as promoted by policy leaders, as a measure of
quality : the ambiguities around how it is defined; the perceived benefits to doctoral
candidates and to the economy, and what they reveals about how it is defined; how it
maps onto a range of candidate types and discipline areas; barriers to delivering on the
perceived benefits and implications for government policy, educational institutions and
industrial, commercial, non-profit, social and public sector partners.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
67
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W44
Wrangling the literature: Quietly
contributing to HDR completions
Keywords: xliterature reviews; information literacy; research skills; library
support
Jennifer Warburton
University of Melbourne
For many higher degree by research candidates the experience of searching the
published literature can be overwhelming and unnecessarily stressful.
Peter Macauley
RMIT University
Experienced researchers draw on deep disciplinary knowledge, a schema of
prior experience, and their networks to locate relevant information and sources.
Inexperienced graduate researchers may lack access to these internal roadmaps of
terms, authors and methodologies and require guidance to identify key papers, authors
and terms associated with a topic.
Advanced information literacy is a critical factor for student success, particularly to
support the literature review process and the need for effective information management
skills has never been greater. The quality of doctoral candidates’ literature reviews, their
knowledge and their ability to undertake substantive and ‘do-able’ research is linked.
Whilst do-it-yourself information and communication technologies, Google and ‘Googlelike’ search engines have led to easier information access, and heightened user
expectations, are HDR students equipped to effectively navigate through, and manage
the plethora of research sources available?
This presentation will share findings and recommendations of a case study profiling PhD
candidate usage of the University of Melbourne Library’s research consultation service.
The study explored whether consultations conducted at the ‘point of need’ made a
difference in the early stages of PhD candidature and questioned whether consultations
contribute to improved research ability and successful outcomes. The presentation
will also question assumptions made by candidates and supervisors in relation to
information-related research skills.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
68
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W45
ARTA: GRAD: University of Canberra’s online,
interactive tool to manage research candidature
Keywords: research; students; candidature; university; canberra; online;
timely; completions; supervisors; strategic; administrative; management
Anushya Kumar
University of Canberra
This paper introduces an online-portal based solution to manage research candidature called
RGRAD developed by the Research Student’s Office(RStO) at the University of Canberra.
Jane Macintosh
University of Canberra
The University of Canberra’s strategic plan for HDR students aims at increasing
student numbers, research intensity and providing an enriched and immersive student
experience. The coursework-integrated PhD was introduced in 2013 as part of this
plan. The challenges that arise with increasing student numbers and introducing a new
program are management of research candidature, timely completions and increase in
administrative load.
Students value their research experience when they have sufficient academic/
administrative support provided by the university, are able to set clear goals, track their
progress at any given time and are able to interact with their supervisors on and offcampus.
RGRAD as a streamlined, interactive solution helps
•provide up-to-date information about the progress of a student against the timeline of
candidature and the mandatory milestones.
•support HDR students, who are off campus, maintain communication with their
supervisors and records and retains the correspondence.
•supervisors access their students’ profiles at any given time.
•maintain a repository of supervisor profile, their supervisory load and registration level.
•management staff within the Faculty/ University Research Centres (URCs) access
records of Faculty/URC HDRs
RGRAD helps manage student candidature in a strategic and successful way. It responds
to the evolving landscape of national/international student expectations and outcomes.
The paper will elucidate RGRAD’s journey from inception to implementation, it’s
alignment with the university’s strategic plan with the feedbacks received so far.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
69
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W46
A holistic system for managing, measuring and
monitoring quality in doctoral training programs
Keywords: doctoral skills program management; event management
system; quality assessment; higher degree research training program
Juliet Lum
Macquarie University
Kim Tan
Macquarie University
Managers of centralised doctoral training programs are faced with two major challenges:
dealing efficiently with numerous registrations for multiple courses, and ensuring that
courses are of high quality and meet actual needs of the institution’s higher degree research
(HDR) candidates. Every year the range of doctoral training and support opportunities
increases, but institutions can be limited in the number they offer due to insufficient
resources and personnel required for their administration and quality evaluation.
In this paper, we present a holistic HDR event management system that alleviates these
challenges by automating several processes associated with the administration and
evaluation of workshops. While this cost-effective solution performs several routine
event registration functions and communications with HDR stakeholders, what is
distinctive about the system is that it tracks the quality and effectiveness of each HDR
event by automatically administering a feedback survey to attendees after each event
and graphically presenting results of all events to date to management staff. The system
thus provides a continually updated snapshot of the quality of the doctoral training
program, which is not only valuable for reporting purposes, but moreover highlights
areas for improvement to more closely align the program to the needs of the current
HDR candidate body.
The system demonstrated in this paper is straightforward to replicate and adapt for individual
institutions’ needs, and should be considered by HDR teams keen to manage, measure
and monitor the quality of their doctoral training programs more effectively and efficiently.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
70
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS WEDNESDAY
W47
UQ HDR Scholarship Rounds
Keywords: ARTA; Scholarships; Best Practice
Tracey Castle
University of Queensland
Prior to 2010, scholarship applications for HDR students at UQ were only considered
once a year. If unsuccessful, applicants were required to withdraw their application for
both admission and scholarship and reapply in the future. Under this model applicants
were disadvantaged by the long timeframe between scholarship rounds, the additional
effort required to submit a new application for admission and scholarship if required,
and, in some cases, the long time to await an outcome.
Therefore, in late 2010, the UQ Graduate School introduced multiple scholarship rounds
per year in order to consider applicants for APA, IPRS and various other Graduate
School scholarships. The UQ Graduate School currently holds 3 scholarship rounds per
year: February – April; June – August; and October – December.
Under this model, unsuccessful applicants will only have a short time to wait until
the next round. The UQ Graduate School also implemented a renomination system,
allowing applicants to reapply for a scholarship in a future round without the need to
reapply for admission.
For UQ, the main benefits are that scholarship workload is spread over the multiple
rounds, and the UQ Graduate School are in a position to accurately budget the number
of scholarships available to award in each round.
This presentation will discuss the processes associated with the current model and
applicant eligibility.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
71
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
KEY2
KEYNOTE THURSDAY
European Doctoral Education:
A silent revolution
Dr Thomas Jørgensen Head of Unit, European University Association-Council
for Doctoral Education
During the last 15 years, European universities have invested heavily in modernising
doctoral education. The traditional master-apprentice model with little or no institutional
backing is being replaced by a system of procedures and structures to imbed doctoral
education in a more formal framework to ensure the quality of research as well as the
efficiency and relevance of programmes. The main vehicle for this development has
been the establishment of doctoral schools as strategic management units. Such units
have enabled universities to identify problems and meet them in a systematic manner
at the institutional level. This trend towards professional management has ensured that
European countries have been able to manage a steep increase in doctoral candidates
while at the same time keeping completion rates and time to degree at reasonable
levels.
The presentation will summarize this development and look at the types of procedures
and structures in place as well as outlining the challenges ahead in terms of developing
a specific quality culture for doctoral education and what that means for a culturally and
economically diverse region like Europe.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
72
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T1
Shadow writers in doctoral education?:
shades of grey
Keywords: writing; postgraduate students; non-institutional writing support
Claire Aitchison
University of Western Sydney
Susan Mowbray
University of Western Sydney
The growth and diversity of the postgraduate research student population is placing
increasing pressure, both material and pedagogical, on institutional resources to
support student writing. At the same time, the expectation for doctoral students
to publish during candidature places them under increasing pressure to produce
publications while writing their thesis. This confluence of factors has been paralleled by
a growth in the provision of non-institutionally based writing support services specifically
aimed at doctoral students to help them with their writing. Many of these services
are offered online, and, as an emerging ‘industry’ they operate largely unmonitored,
influencing and impacting on doctoral writing practices in unknown and often
unacknowledged ways.
This research reports on an analysis of 158 online writing support provider sites and
data from follow up interviews and surveys. The study shows the existence of a range
of suppliers including reputable editing and writer development services, a growing
number of student-friendly on-line community forums, and a large number of suspect
‘doctoral writing support services’ offering more questionable services. Research
participants often spoke about the challenges of operating in the grey zone between
what they considered legitimate writing help and less acceptable practices. The growing
prevalence and uptake of such market-based writing services prompts questions
about the roles and responsibilities vis a vis writing and research scholarship. These
include, for example, questions about the institutional /individual expectations for
students’ writing and writing development; the relationship of authorship to knowledge
creation and ownership; and concerns about how we understand, monitor and develop
authorship in doctoral research.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
73
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T2
Writer’s Block: A light-hearted look
Keywords: Writer’s block; Writing; Writing strategies
Hugh Kearns
Flinders University
Who hasn’t suffered from writer’s block at some stage? Isaac Asimov for one! “I had
writer’s block once. It was the worst 10 minutes of my life.” This session is a lighthearted look at the condition that afflicts many researchers and research students and
the many creative reasons they give for not writing. “I waiting until I feel ready”. “I just
need to read one more paper”.
Fortunately there is a wealth of advice for blocked writers such as Gene Fowler who
helpfully suggests: “The writing is easy. All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper
until the drops of blood form on your forehead.” Some commentators dispute that writer’s
block even exists. Allan Gurganus claimed “You don’t get writer’s block if you don’t
believe in it. I’ve never heard of anyone getting plumber’s block, or traffic cop’s block.”
There is practical advice too. When Asimov was asked what routines he used for
writing he replied: “It is always necessary from me to turn on my electric typewriter and
get close enough to it so that my fingers can reach the keys.” And Ernest Hemingway
provided one of the most valuable suggestions: “I always stopped when I knew what
was going to happen next. That way I could be sure of going on the next day.”
This session provides excuses, strategies and a bit of humour. Finally, “Proofread
carefully to see if you any words out.”
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
74
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T3
Academic objectivity and research writing
Keywords: student; experience; outcomes
Wendy Bastalich
University of South Australia
The emphasis upon efficiency in doctoral education in the past twenty years has been
accompanied by a new problematic, that of ‘skills deficits’, the ‘poor management’
practices of supervisors, and a lack of effective ‘self-management’ of students, bringing
new training and regulatory measures to address them. There has been comparatively
little reflection on the insights raised within the higher education literature about the
role of academic subjectivity and its relation to writing and supervision in supporting
successful outcomes for doctoral candidates and their supervisors. This paper reflects
on my work with doctoral students’ writing in the social sciences and humanities and
suggests that problems with student writing, particularly within the literature review,
are more helpfully understood in terms of students’ attempts to conform to dominant
discourse about what it means to be a good student and a good academic or
researcher, discourse which fails to prepare students for the reality of academic writing
conventions. This can frequently be addressed, and more appropriate academic writing
practices adopted, by showing students how to conform to academic conventions
within the writing of the research proposal, thesis or exegesis. The paper advocates a
shift in approach away from student and supervisor management or self-management,
and a conception of students as possessed of a deficit, towards more direct
engagement with student writing.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
75
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T4
Figuring theory-method relations: Showcasing
new research into doctoral education
Keywords: theories; methodologies; methods
Barbara Grant
The University of Auckland
Frances Kelly
The University of Auckland
Jamie Burford
The University of Auckland
Catherine Mitchell
The University of Auckland
Edward Okai
The University of Auckland
Linlin Xu
The University of Auckland
Our symposium will offer a series of short presentations that explore the relationship
between theory and methodology/methods in a variety of new research projects in
doctoral education. We will address the following issues: designing sustainable and
flexible ethnographic research into supervision (Grant); utilising narrative methodology
underpinned by post-structural theory in a study of the experiences of first-generation
doctoral students (Mitchell); contextualizing Bourdieu’s field of practice in doctoral
education via the football field metaphor (Okai); illustrating queer method and methodology in
a study on doctoral writing and affect (Burford); developing a post-realist methodology
to analyse discursive constructions of the PhD (Kelly); designing a methodology to
explore intercultural interaction in written feedback on doctoral students’ disciplinary
writing (Xu).The range of methodologies, theoretical frameworks and epistemological
perspectives offered by the presentations will promote discussion and reflection on
ways of researching in doctoral education within and across different paradigms,
enabling more complex dimensions of doctoral education scholarship to emerge.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
76
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T5
Building the ‘teaching-research nexus’ in a
research-intensive university: the Clinician Scientist
Track at the University of Queensland, Australia
Keywords: teaching research nexus; concurrent degrees; increase numbers of
clinician scientists; MPhil; MD-PhD
Diann Eley
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland (UQ), School of Medicine has implemented an innovative
research intensive pathway, the Clinician Scientist Track (CST), for a select cohort of
students to pursue a part time research MPhil degree concurrently with their full time
four year medical degree. This program is uncommon in Australia but is congruent with
the spirit of creating clinician scientists through the MD-PhD programs established over
40 years ago with the pioneering work of Duke and Stanford Universities in the USA.
The rationale for the CST was two-fold. The first was to address the recognised global
decline in clinician scientists by providing a research intense pathway for exceptional
students with the ability and interest in a research academic career. The second
aimed to drive the teaching-research nexus into reality by utilising the research intense
environment at this university.
The development of the program involved modification of UQ policies to allow our
students to enrol concurrently in an undergraduate and postgraduate degree. Once
approved there was immediate interest among students who recognised the benefits
and career potential of the CST and found themselves eligible to enrol.
To date there are 42 enrolled MPhil candidates with the majority (90%) upgrading to
a PhD at confirmation. Student research represents 33 different research areas and
approximately 22 research groups, centres and institutes in UQ and internationally in
NZ, USA and UK. This paper will discuss the program’s future alongside early lessons
learned in implementing the CST as an alternative and flexible pathway to increasing the
number of clinician scientists.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
77
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T6
Benchmarking the completions process
Keywords: Research Doctoral Degrees; Degree Completion Rates and Times;
Benchmarking
Nigel, Palmer
Australian National University
Research degree completion has come to be definitive of a successful research higher
degree outcome. In practice however ‘completions’ can be far from definitive, and in
fact may be premised on a range of enrolment events as part of a completions process.
A substantial amount of time can elapse between the initial submission of a thesis for
examination and a degree conferral being recorded by the institution. Initial submission
of a thesis may coincide with the final recorded date of enrolment, but this may be far
from the final recorded enrolment event. Receipt of final examination reports may be
taken to indicate completion through satisfying academic requirements of the degree,
but there may still be program requirements in addition to this. While representing the
final stage in the process for students, degree conferral is unlikely to be used as a
completion indicator for performance measurement purposes, despite being the final
event in what could be regarded as a ‘completions process’.
Drawing on a benchmarking initiative supported by the Good Practice Framework (Luca
& Wolski, 2013), this paper identifies enrolment events associated with the research
degree completions process among five universities in Australia. Findings are intended
to assist in defining and reporting evidence of completion and how the phases identified
in that process may influence reported degree completion times.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
78
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T7
Quo Vadis Doctoral Programs in Private Non-profit
Higher Education? The view from two providers.
Keywords: private higher education; specialised program; generic model;
research culture; supervision resources; academic freedom; reference resources
Juhani Tuovinen
Graeme Clark Research Institute
Tony Williams
Avondale College
Graham Buxton
Graeme Clark Research Institute
Stephen Spence
Tabor Adelaide
David Wescombe-Down
Tabor Adelaide
In order to provide a high level of research and postgraduate education opportunities
in the widest possible range of contexts, private non-profit higher education providers
(PNHEPs) have developed doctoral program offerings outside the university system. We
will discuss the nature of these programs, their origins, quality control mechanisms and
current trajectories. What are the advantages and benefits of private higher doctoral
programs and what are their challenges and limitations?
Participants in the provision of private non-profit doctoral programs with a Christian
ethos will discuss these issues, dealing with both professional and research doctorates.
Apart from the limitations arising from working outside the funding envelope of university
doctoral programs and university self-accrediting status, numerous other potential
limitations had to be overcome. These include the range of supervision resources
available, the nature of academic freedom, minimal institutional research culture and the
breadth of reference resources. How these and other hurdles were overcome and how
the collaborative engagement of a wide range of national and international top scholars
was achieved is presented via case studies of two multi-disciplinary colleges.
The current doctoral programs in the two colleges reflect differing approaches to
program quality and accreditation, one tending towards specialisation, the other
towards a more generic model. These approaches may converge in the future as the
experiences of the different players in the field are shared and optimal approaches are
identified. This paper may assist institutions in deciding whether to adopt a generic or
specialised approach for research doctorates.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
79
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T8
What happens when a researcher wants to
publish differently? A vision of the possibilities –
Cabaret as academic discourse
Keywords: Different dissertations; Cabaret as academic writing; Practice
led research
Geof Hill
University of Queensland
Research publication is one of the core factors of research practice. From the Medieval
studia generalia in which prospective applicants had to defend themselves against
all comers, through to the ERA processes that put value on individual research
publications, research publication, as an aspect of research practice, has undergone
enormous change. Like many practices associated with research, there is hegemony
that often inhibits creativity. The dissonance surrounding this hegemony begs a question
‘what happens when a researcher wants to publish their research differently?’. In the
case of a research student, what happens when they choose to write a dissertation that
is different from the established norms? For any researcher it is important to explore the
rationale for why the dissertation is what it is; why research publication is what it is, in
order to understand how to mount an argument for it to be different.
This presentation addresses both the history of research publication and strategies for
researchers to push the boundaries within the broader genre of academic writing. The
author draws on his own narrative of two previous research dissertations in which he
firstly argued for speaking in the first person, and secondly argued for presenting some
of the contributions to knowledge in the genre of cabaret. He is currently undertaking a
third research degree using practice-led research.
This presentation will be presented in cabaret to model one of the alternative ways of
publishing research.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
80
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T9
Empowering the leadership role of
research education coordinators
Keywords: Leadership; Research Education; Coordination
Kevin Ryland
University of Technology, Sydney
Changes in research education have generated the need for roles in schools and
faculties beyond that of supervision or selection and allocation of students. Research
education coordinators taking on new responsibilities hitherto little recognised. They are
becoming local leaders in research education. However, to date there has been little
focus on such leadership at the school or faculty level. What is it that such coordinators
do and how can they be better equipped? A framework of distributed leadership was
adopted to address this issue as it reflects the situation where many research education
coordinators can only exercise influence, as they do not have direct responsibility or
authority for outcomes.
The session reports on the outcomes of an OLT-funded project ‘Building local
leadership for research education’. An analysis of the activities required at the local level
of research education identified what was currently being undertaken and what might
be missing. It mapped the activities undertaken by research education coordinators and
identified the leadership needs of such roles. The session reports on the outcome of the
project that included a series of resources to assist coordinators to develop their roles.
The project disseminated these at a series of state based workshops and there was a
call for the development of a community of research education coordinators to provide
support and advice for it members. The launch of such a network will be made at this
session. The session will conclude by identifying further work that could be undertaken
in this area
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
81
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T10
Factors influencing to effective doctoral
supervision in Management in China
Keywords: Doctoral supervision; Management; China
Ying Zhang
The Australian National University
With the dramatic increase in the number of Chinese doctoral students, Chinese
doctoral education suffers from the lack of the amount of effective doctoral supervisors,
especially in a popular discipline: Management. The effective doctoral supervision
benefits to improve the students’ quality, increase the PhD students’ and the employers’
satisfaction, and the development of discipline and institution. As a result, Chinese
effective doctoral supervision receives an increasing amount of attention by government,
institutions and academic. However, there is little published research on Chinese
doctoral supervision. This research aims to fill the knowledge gap and establish a model
pertaining to doctoral supervision in Management in China through an exploration
factors influencing to effective supervision. The findings of this research are based on
the outcomes of 39 interviews from three groups: PhD students, doctoral graduates,
and doctoral supervisors, who were studying or working at a Chinese leading university.
This paper will present the first two groups’ results. The current results suggest that six
motivation factors influence doctoral supervision. These factors are supervisor practices;
supervisors’ factors; students’ factors; factors related to labor market requirement,
university, and Chinese society; the relationships between supervisor and students; and
support services. A different set of sub-factors, which are not included in the existing
literature, namely being a positive moral example or engaging moral education; and
TONGMEN peers who are guided by a same supervisor are contributed to effective
supervision of Chinese doctoral students.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
82
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T11
Developing supervisors through mentorship
Keywords: Postgraduate supervision; Mentoring; Professional development
Marion Jones
AUT University
Jennie Billot
AUT University
Madeline Banda
AUT University
There has been increasing international emphasis on enhancing the capacity and
capability of postgraduate supervision. As a consequence, greater focus is being
placed on the quality of supervision and how this is linked to the succession planning of
supervisors. Processes that support new and less experienced supervisors are integral
to this issue. This presentation outlines a research study at a New Zealand University
that examines the professional development of supervisors using a mentoring approach.
The aim is to identify how best to implement a University framework that effectively
supports supervisors through institutional processes and policy. The qualitative
research approach involved data collection from both mentor and mentee supervisors.
A mentor in this instance is an experienced supervisor who acts as a support through
the supervision process. Study findings indicate that what is understood and practised
does not always align with the intentions of the current relevant policies and protocols.
Indeed, there are multiple interpretations of the roles and responsibilities of the mentor,
indicating a need for greater clarity and consistency of how supervisors are mentored.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
83
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T12
Some issues related to knowledge transfer in
postgraduate research and education
Keywords: postgraduate; education; research; knowledge; transfer
Dennis Mulcahy
University of South Australia
Ramadas Narayanan
CQ University
Silvia Pignata
University of South Australia
Navin Rajendhiran
University of South Australia
Sead Spuzic
University of South Australia
Faik Uzunovic
University of Zenica
Postgraduate education is recognised worldwide as an important component of
research and a powerful strategy to increase fundamental knowledge and generate
innovation. Knowledge processing is one of the most significant factors impacting on
social and economic sustainability. However, according to the Australian Council of
Learned Academies, insufficient attention is being paid to communication of research
results in Australia. This suggests a need to address issues that might hinder the
sharing and application of newly created knowledge. Examples of impediments that
have obstructed the transfer, and the use of the results of postgraduate research are
discussed, and strategies for overcoming these barriers are proposed. The perspective
of interaction between unmanned and manned systems, and the rise of the open
networks of interdisciplinary knowledge, present new avenues for the transfer and
application of knowledge at unprecedented rates. However, the actual purpose of
knowledge should not be lost; more attention to misalignment in beliefs and intentions is
needed to improve knowledge transfer and application
Nithyakumaran Vaikundam
University of South Australia
Kym Fraser
University of South Australia
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
84
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T13
The Examination Process: Achieving a quality
and timely submission
Keywords: Thesis Examination; Online forms; Research training environment;
Quality assurance; Business process review; Timely completion
Susan Gasson
Queensland University of Technology
The notion of sensemaking (Weick, 1979) is applied to consider the change process
associated with the development of a new online form to support thesis examination at
one university. Taking a socio-cultural perspective, the paper explores the drivers for the
new business processes. These included growth in student numbers, globalisation of
research and the need to share research outcomes. The selection of a revised process
is next considered and involves a cost benefit analysis comparing positive workload
outcomes for users versus infrastructure and resourcing impacts for the university.
Completing the cycle the criteria used to judge success of change are reviewed
including improved quality assurance and reporting versus maintenance costs. The
paper concludes by identifying future drivers for further change. The contribution of the
work is a better understanding of the phenomena, contexts and processes that inform
change in the management of research training in universities. The paper considers the
benefits achievable through review of business process and added impact of integrated
software tools. The role and potential of online functionality in the current research
training environment is also explored. It is shown that such tools can support and
enable a quality research training environment by creating an accessible and interactive
interface; prompting reportable quality assurance measures and responding to the
current key performance indicators and trends present in the higher education research
environment.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
85
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T14
ARTA - Managing conflicts of interest in
thesis examination
Keywords: conflict of interest; thesis examination; perceived conflict of interest
Catherine Crawford
The University of Queensland
Managing potential conflicts of interest (COI) has evolved substantially in Australian
Universities in recent years.
A real, perceived or potential COI arises where an opportunity is provided for
someone to give preference to their own interests, the interests of another person, or
organisation, over the interests of integrity of the thesis examination.
Perceptions of a COI may be important, especially whether a conflict actually exists.
Perceptions can adversely affect relationships inside and outside of an institution. Real,
perceived or potential COIs can reflect negatively on an institution.
The fundamental principle behind institutional conflict of interest policies is, could a third
party perceive our choices of thesis examiners as anything but impartial? Importantly, COIs
are about perceived collaborations and not necessarily the subject matter of the thesis.
Each individual has a responsibility to ensure, wherever possible, that no actual, real or
perceived COI arises either before or during the examination by declaring any or all conflicts.
In the end, it all comes down to the issue of responsibility and that any other interest
should not conflict with that responsibility.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
86
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T15
Lifting the stone on the PhD viva process in Irish
Higher Education Institutions
Keywords: Viva; PhD; Assessment; Chairpersons; Regulations
Michelle Share
Trinity College Dublin
The Bologna Process sought to harmonise qualifications across the EU, with an
emphasis on transferable skills and preparation of graduates for the knowledge
economy. This has been accompanied by rapid growth in the numbers of PhD students
and changes in the nature of the doctorate. Whereas in a number of European countries
the doctorate has received attention in terms of quality assurance processes, this is less
so in Ireland.
This study aimed, for the first time, to understand the viva voce examination of Irish
PhDs. Based on a sample of three Irish Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), it used
qualitative content analysis to classify PhD examination policies and qualitative
interviews to examine the role and perceptions of six PhD viva chairpersons.
Analysis of PhD regulations indicates similarities between HEIs on some aspects; this
is reflected in the perspectives of viva chairpersons. Regulations vary on a number of
different levels: the relationship of the viva to the written thesis; classification of awards;
and the role of key players in the examination process. Institutions combine strengths
and weaknesses in their regulations. Chairpersons provide an important function in the
examination process that also benefits their own practice.
Developments in doctoral education have not extended to its administration, which
remains largely traditional. There is a need to establish a coherent framework for
understanding doctoral examination practices in Irish HEIs. This will help to ensure
the equivalence of doctoral awards; enhance transparency; build the capacities of
supervisors and examiners and, for students, ensure equity and fairness.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
87
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T16
‘Attacks in the Doctoral Viva’: Critical Narrative
Insights from Experienced Doctoral Examiners
Keywords: Doctoral examiners; Doctoral viva; Critical discourse analysis;
Narratives; Examiner practices; Doctoral assessment
Wee Chun Tan
University of Otago
Vijay Kumar Mallan
University of Otago
This paper reports on a case study from a larger doctoral research project that aimed
to investigate examiner practices in the doctoral viva (oral examination) at a Malaysian
research university. In this case study, we explored the interview narratives of how two
experienced examiners; one from the Humanities and one from the Sciences, revealed
their attacking goals in the viva. We use the word ‘attack’ because candidates are often
expected to ‘defend’ themselves in the viva.
Doctoral examiners play a significant role in the viva. They determine whether a
candidate under examination possesses doctoral-level quality. In many universities (e.g.
in the UK and Malaysia), examiners are empowered to recommend a re-viva along with
pass, fail, or other outcome. Given the powerful role of examiners, however, to date
there has been little research on the process of how examiners engage in the viva.
Quality examiner practices in the viva are still shrouded in mystery.
Qualitative interviews were conducted with experienced doctoral examiners from
cross disciplines at the university. Using critical discourse analysis (CDA), the interview
narratives were analysed to arrive at a critical understanding of the attacking goals in the
viva, and how the goals were narrated by the examiners.
The findings of this case study will provide guidance, pedagogical and research
implications for doctoral examiners and researchers. Further research on examiner
practices in the viva is needed to better support quality viva practices.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
88
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T17
Communication Accommodation to achieve
Research Student Autonomy
Keywords: research student autonomy; communication accommodation
theory; research supervision; supervisor student relationship
Grace Mccarthy
University of Wollongong
Rodney Clarke
University of Wollongong
Ann Rogerson
University of Wollongong
Universities throughout the world are grappling with ways to improve the quality of
research supervision and thereby improve successful completion rates. Much effort
has been spent on defining the research skills students are expected to develop and
how to assist students improve them, e.g. Willison (2012). The concept of developing
researcher autonomy has also been the focus of research, e.g. Gurr (2011).
As supervisors, we help our students become skilled autonomous researchers through
discussions and feedback, in other words, through our communication skills. The
purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how Communication Accommodation Theory
(CAT) can be applied in research supervision to improve the communication process
and ultimately both the student experience and the student outcomes.
Communication Accommodation Theory provides a framework that ‘predicts and
explains many of the adjustments individuals make to create, maintain or decrease
social distance in interaction’ (Giles and Ogay 2007). CAT provides a way to articulate
expectations of both supervisor and research student in relation to preferred modes of
communication, e.g. directive or non-directive, and to address the power relationship
inherent in the relationship e.g. (Willemyns et al 2006). The supervisor can respond
to questions such as ‘What should I do?’ along the lines of ‘Let’s see. What are
the options?’ This approach encourages students to transition to using their own
judgement and discernment skills rather than just providing answers. Over time, the
student develops a habit of identifying and evaluating options, proposing solutions, and
finally taking responsibility for their choices.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
89
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T18
Quitting Talk: an analysis of conversations
about leaving research degree study
Keywords: attrition; retention; research students; blogging; social media;
conversation analysis
Inger Mewburn
The Australian National University
The decision to leave a research degree is informed by a complex array of factors and
emotions, about which we have relatively little understanding (Lovitts, 2002). Attrition
is a constant problem for universities around the world, with some estimating up to
1/3 of candidates fail to complete (DETYA, 1997). This paper analyses the ‘quitting
talk’ that occurred in the comments of a blog post “should you quit your PhD?” by
BJ Epstein, published on the Thesis Whisperer Blog on the 7th of November 2012.
The blog post has attracted 29,000 unique visitors still gets, on average 98 hits a day
and there are currently 132 comments from candidates around the world who are
either contemplating quitting, or have quit already. This conversation, which could be
considered a large focus group discussion, presents a unique opportunity to explore
the nature of decision points around quitting and what kinds of circumstances in
candidate’s lives might prompt it. Surprisingly, while most candidates who do give a
reason for leaving claim that financial reasons are to blame, in fact it seems motivation
to continue is far more influenced by the values within each research culture, particularly
in relation to future employment prospects and interest in the research itself. This microstudy puts important ‘flesh on the bones’ on the debates around attrition and helps
us better recognise quitting talk so that we can intervene before the decision to leave
becomes inevitable.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
90
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T19
Why I am still here: The Resilience of Women
Research Students
Keywords: women research students; women doctoral students; resilience;
resilience training; personal development
Elizabeth A. Beckmann
Australian National University
The Resilience of Women Research Students (RoWRS) is a unique personal and
professional development program run at the Australian National University since 2010.
RoWRS was envisioned as a practical response to national research and commentary
about gender imbalances in the higher education workforce, especially post-PhD
losses (e.g. Dever et al., 2008; Shaw and Stanton, 2012), and to the need among
women research students for gender-based support (e.g. McCormack, 2001; Birch,
2011). The multi-session, evidence-based RoWRS program was thus designed to
provide peer support, role modelling and psychological tools to support resilience
(‘the ability to face adversity with hope’; Deveson, 2003, ix) in the context of doctoral
study and progression into academia. To date, about 150 women research students,
including many international students, have participated at ANU, with the program now
being trialled at other universities. This paper will describe the program, and report
on evaluations that indicate RoWRS gives participants a suite of skills and strategies
identified as key elements of resilience, a stronger belief in themselves as successful
PhD candidates, and a more realistic understanding of what an academic career entails.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
91
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T20
Research writing for international research scholars:
more than ‘grammar’
Keywords: research writing; English for research writing; grammar; disciplinary
discourse
Monica Behrend
University of South Australia
In Anglophone universities, despite the increasing numbers of international higher
degree by research (HDR) students for whom English is an additional language,
not enough is known about how these students manage to successfully negotiate
the challenges related to writing research. While expectations are that any students
commencing a research degree should be sufficiently prepared to write research,
in reality these students need to negotiate a range of new norms and practices
which are largely unknown to them as neophyte research students operating within
unfamiliar cultural and institutional settings. The purpose of this paper is to examine
the ways in which students and their supervisors successfully negotiate this writing
domain, particularly through drawing on institutional resources, such as generic writing
workshops marketed as ‘English for Research Writing’ and individual consultations with
research writing specialists. This paper argues that research writing is much more than
getting the ‘grammar’ correct. Research writing includes learning how to: determine
disciplinary nuances of language choices, become a productive writer even if suffering
writers’ block and experiencing emotional struggles, and access available resources in
a timely manner. This paper concludes with a discussion of addressing ongoing issues
related to research writing in order to facilitate more engagement with the development
of research writing throughout the candidature.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
92
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T21
ARTA submission - Graduate Research School
structures – the UNSW direct engagement model
Keywords: HDR; Administration; Structure
Margaret O’Byrne
The University of New South Wales
Elizabeth Martens
The University of New South Wales
UNSW’s Graduate Research School’s (GRS) model of direct engagement with faculties
and schools is unique amongst graduate schools dealing with large numbers of
Higher Degree by Research (HDR) candidates. The GRS has a hybrid structural model
with both functional teams and portfolio based staff. Functional teams manage the
high volume processing requirements of HDR Admissions, Scholarships and Thesis
Examination - while the Candidature Management team directly supports individual
faculty higher degree committees that include postgraduate coordinators (PGCs) from
each of the approx. 60 schools/units who enrol HDR candidates. UNSW’s Dean of
Graduate Research (or nominee) attends all 9 faculty higher degree committees – the
largest of which meet on a monthly basis.
This presentation will discuss the advantages and challenges of the UNSW HDR
management model.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
93
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T22
The socialisation of research students into disciplines
through spoken academic discourses
Keywords: academic socialisation; disciplinary identity; research presentations
Jessica Scott
University of Adelaide
Seminar presentations and their subsequent discussion sessions are social
performances of expertise and socio-academic relationships. Oral presentations are a
key socialising discourse in academic scholarship; students must simultaneously be
experts in order to give presentations and give presentations in order to be experts.
Jacoby and Gonzales (1991) emphasise the dynamic and dialogic nature of the
linguistic construction of expertise (1991:174); participants’ (emerging) professional
identities are not simply presented, but always negotiated, as a ‘core’ feature of
academic discourse (Duff 2010:170). Konzett (2012) examines the ways in which
academic experts negotiate their professional identities in conference discussions. The
focus of the current paper is on doctoral students, and on the socialising nature of
discussion sessions. Using transcribed spoken data from student research seminars
conducted during the course of an academic bridging program for international doctoral
students, this paper explores the grammatical and discursive ways in which supervisors
and students collaboratively position their research field and research practices, and
how this structures students’ discursive claims to their own space within the discipline,
as a part of their socialisation into academic and disciplinary discourses. Participants
in these sessions represent the triad of doctoral student, their supervisors, and ALL
academic (Picard, Warner and Velautham, 2010). This paper examines the dynamic
construction of participants’ expertise through a selection of linguistic elements,
demonstrating the intensively socialising nature of these discussion sessions.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
94
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T23
Writing and researching in the contact zone: This is
what international doctoral students have told me
Keywords: International satudents; doctoral writing; research
Meeta Chatterjee-Padmanabhan
University of Wollongong
The present paper draws on a qualitative study with six international doctoral
students. Interviews and textual analysis were used to investigate some of the lesser
known aspects of their struggles. Language and writing, not unexpectedly, was a
major discussion point. However, there are other aspects of doctoral work that are
less explored. The sense of erosion of the ‘self’ was a major concern that emerged.
International doctoral students arrive at doctoral research and writing with fully-fledged
professional and/or academic identities in their disciplines. However, the researching
and writing of a doctoral thesis entails re-learning to be a student in another language.
This presents enormous personal anxieties. In addition to this, students who undertake
to do qualitative studies report that they find themselves ill-equipped for the task
of writing sophisticated descriptive texts required of the genre. Moreover, doctoral
researchers may use their country of origin to collect their empirical data from a nonEnglish speaking populace after having engaged with literature in English and acquired
their theoretical frameworks produced in Anglophone academic environments. They
then face the challenging task of translating their empirical data into English. This tends
to be time consuming. Difficulties can relate to more than linguistic equivalences. There
may be a misfit between the theories that emerge from Anglophone countries and the
empirical data that is encountered by the doctoral students in the countries in which the
research is conducted. These aspects of doctoral writing will be discussed.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
95
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T24
Gender and the doctoral experience:
A critique of alterity
Keywords: gender; doctoral experience; doctoral education; alterity; subjectivity;
power
Cassandra Loeser
University of South Australia
Rowena Harper
University of South Australia
Early work on gender in doctoral education emerged from feminist perspectives and sought
to highlight gendered inequities in participation rates and outcomes such as academic
tenure. Over the last 20-30 years, however, social and political shifts have seen women
pursue doctoral education in increasing numbers at rates which approach and often
exceed those of men (England, Allison, Li, Mark, Thompson, Budig & Sun 2001;
Hoopes 2010; Jaschick 2010; Avraham 2013). Since the early 2000s there has been
a subsequent turn in the international literature which explores men’s apparent (under)
achievement relative to women as a ‘crisis of masculinity’ in doctoral education (de Vise
2010). This alleged reversal of the ‘gender gap’ in doctoral education, while contested
by some (Mastekaasa 2005), has served to widen the focus on gender as a subject for
analytical consideration to include the doctoral experiences of both men and women.
Importantly, the literature has moved beyond implicit suggestions that advocating
for equitable participation of women and men in doctoral education is the ultimate
aim of critical inquiry; while participation rates and doctoral outcomes remain
important indicators of institutional and social practices, they are alone insufficient for
understanding doctoral education in the new millennium. Three identifiable strands are
evident in the literature, each of which offers an important way of thinking about gender
and the contemporary doctoral experience, and each of which this paper will critically
review. One strand identifies the doctorate itself, the pedagogies that underpin it, and
the academic context more broadly as gendered in particular ways (Leonard 2001;
Wisker, 2005; Johnson, Lee and Green 2000: 146; Leonard 2010). A second strand in
the literature examines students’ increasingly diverse experiences throughout the stages
of doctoral candidacy and the ways in which these are influenced by issues of gender.
A final strand within the literature examines the effect of gender on outcomes from the
doctoral experience, that is, completion times, employment, tenure, promotion and
salaries (Potvin and Tai, 2012; Wisker 2005: 220).
This paper will critically review these three strands in the literature on gender in doctoral
education. In so doing, the paper will illustrate that while some of the traditional
disadvantages facing women have diminished, the doctorate remains a “different process
for men and women” (Wall, 2008: 219). Moreover, it will propose that the move away from
a focus on women’s disadvantage to the student experience of the doctorate will usefully
broaden future discussions of gender to encompass more diverse conceptions of subjectivity.
Specifically, it will be suggested that traditional rhetorics of male and female doctoral
students as binarised ‘opposites’ are limited in their capacity to fully explore subjectivity,
and instead, the doctoral student experience can be expanded to incorporate gender
and its intersection with ‘race’ and ethnicity, socio-economic status, geographic
location, sexuality and (dis)ability. The paper makes use of particular interventions in
feminist literature, gender studies, the sociology of education and cultural studies that
help to disaggregate gendered hierarchies and binaries, and open doctoral education to
a more nuanced analysis of the power and complexities of gender.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
96
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T25
The 2003 commencing higher degree
by research cohort
Keywords: HDR; Doctorate by Research; Masters by Research; Completion rate
Ian Buchanan
Department of Education
This paper examines the characteristics and academic outcomes, where they can be
determined, of the cohort of candidates who commenced a higher degree by research
(HDR) course of study in the 2003 reporting year. The study uses unit record data from
the Higher Education Information Management System (HEIMS) to examine candidate
characteristics and track completions and continuing enrolment of candidates up to
2012, the latest year of available data.
To 2012, nearly 64 per cent of those candidates who commenced a Doctorate by
Research in 2003 had completed one, with a further 1 per cent having obtained a
Masters by Research degree and 3.5 per cent incomplete but currently enrolled. Just
over 40 per cent of those who commenced a Masters by Research degree in 2003 had
completed one by 2012, with significantly, a further 17 per cent completing a Doctorate
by Research, while 2 per cent had not completed but were currently enrolled.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
97
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T26
Profiling the New Normal: A perspective from
narrative and from enrolment metrics
Keywords: Research Doctoral Degrees; Enrolment Metrics; Narrative Analysis;
Research Higher Degree Policy and Program Development
Nigel Palmer
Australian National University
Helen Marsden
Australian National University
Inger Mewburn
Australian National University
Ideas about the ‘typical’ or ‘normal’ candidate underpin the development of many
research higher degree strategies, policies and programs. These ideas, acknowledged
or not, often inform assumptions regarding degree outcomes, levels of engagement and
judgements about risk. But are these assumptions true?
While metrics for patterns of participation in research degrees can provide a useful
means for testing our ideas about the typical candidate, they can also have a masking
effect, particularly where based on unreliable data or reporting methods.
This paper combines quantitative with narrative analysis as a way of understanding and
engaging with the new normal subjectivities of research higher degrees. Combining
quantitative with narrative analysis can help better inform the development of research
higher degree policies, programs and support strategies, and provide a more developed
understanding of the relationship between performance measures, identity and diversity.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
98
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T27
Co-constructed multi-media on-line researcher
development programme: A non-traditional
mentoring innovation
Keywords: Social Innovation; Action Research; Appreciative Living; postgraduate;
research development; on-line mentoring
Emmie Smit
University of the Free State
The UFS’ Postgraduate School (PGS) foster quality postgraduate education and
support by initiating intellectual innovations and transformation. The School’s strategic
plan includes aims to optimize the postgraduate experience.
This paper reviews an on-line e-mentoring project to empower emerging postgraduate
scholars on the distance QwaQwa campus in central South Africa. Through peer - and
group - mentoring within an on-line academic community the PGS aims to increase
their levels of qualification, and research outputs and overall satisfaction with the level of
accomplishment of the UFS’s commitment to academic excellence.
Research methodologies that value mentoring and reflecting as practice-improving
procedures, formed the milieu wherein a resource-lacking issue developed into a coconstructed resource-providing innovation. Theories, concepts and constructs of Social
Innovation, Action Research and Appreciative Living were utilised.
Broader implementation of this convenient time- and cost-effective virtual addition to the
excisting PGS hub will support non-traditional emerging researchers that are balancing
fulltime employment, part-time studies together with personal and social responsibilities.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
99
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T28
Online support of HDR professional
development: Recent initiatives & reflections on
community-building
Keywords: online; community-building; distance education; professional
development; research literacies
Cassily Charles
Charles Sturt University
Lisa McLean
Charles Sturt University
CSU is the largest sole provider of distance education in Australia, and in contrast to
the 1:10 average Australian ratio of external to internal research candidates, the ratio at
Charles Sturt University is more than 1:2. Research candidates who are formally enrolled
‘on-campus’ may also find that their circumstances mirror those of external students,
as they are spread across CSU’s 17 campuses and affiliates around Australia. Charles
Sturt Uni has an established history with distance education, which has influenced its
embrace of online and blended modes of learning, and increasingly these are being
extended to support research candidates. In particular, online professional development
for HDRs has been the site of several key initiatives during 2012 and 2013, at the levels
of institution, faculty and school. Notable examples include an extensive calendar of
online workshops, online writing groups, online professional doctorate coursework,
growing use of social media and a synchronous online presentation competition. In
addition to the explicit aims of these online initiatives, community-building has been a
valuable, and often unforseen, outcome for both internal and external HDRs. This paper
will discuss the practicalities and pleasures of developing online programs which foster
connection for all research candidates, wherever they may be, while supporting their
research literacy development.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
100
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T29
Providing a premium admission experience –
can that boost HDR cohort quality?
Keywords:HDR Admission System; Attract Desired HDR Candidature;
Revamped HDR Processes and Systems
Lucian Hiss
University of New South Wales
While top quality HDR applicants choose the institution at which they wish to complete
their PhD based on the research standing of the institution and the supervisor they
want to work with, are there other variables that administrators can influence to
attract the desired candidature? In 2014, UNSW’s Graduate Research School is
looking to transform the way we manage HDR admissions with the goal of improving
the experience for prospective candidates, supervisors and schools and ensure
the candidates in highest demand are not turned off by delays and convoluted
administrative hurdles.
This presentation will focus on the process of responding to stakeholder feedback,
reviewing our processes and the challenges of obtaining support for HDR tailored
systems in a systems environment dominated by the needs of the coursework students.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
101
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T30
Developing expert scholars: The role of reflection
in creative learning
Keywords: Reflection; Creativity; Doctoral education
Liezel Frick
Stellenbosch University
Eva Brodin
Lund University
Reflection is a critical process in refining artistry in any discipline. It involves thoughtfully
considering one’s own beliefs and experiences in applying knowledge to practice. Also,
it includes an ample amount of creative learning, which seems to be essential in both
becoming and being an expert scholar. However, even though there seems to be an
obvious relationship between creativity and reflection, this relationship has not received
much attention in research yet. Neither has the role of creative learning in becoming
an expert scholar been recognized to a wider extent so far. In this paper we therefore
conceptualize the relationship between reflection and creativity and depict how these
faculties develop within the frame of doctoral education, where novice scholars are
prepared for becoming expert scholars. It appears that the traditional emphasis on
knowledge and skills may have marginalised the aspects that truly cultivate experts.
Understanding the differences in novice and expert learning can enhance the quality of
programmes and help both novices and experts to reach learning outcomes. Different
educational strategies are therefore appropriate at different skills levels to ensure optimal
learning. As such, we provide a conceptual framework and integrative model of the
reflective creativity cycle, in which the developmental relationship between reflection and
creativity is illuminated.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
102
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T31
Supervising the creative doctorate
Keywords: supervision; creative; conceptual threshold crossing; maverick
Gina Wisker
University of Brighton
Gillian Robinson
Anglia Ruskin University
This paper is based on research conducted with doctoral students who have produced
creative doctorates, and with supervisors who have supervised creative doctorates.
We 1) rescrutinised data from two earlier projects : ‘doctoral learning journeys’ and the
international ‘parallel’ projects each using the same methodology and methods (20072010);2) conducted new face-to-face and email interviews with 6 doctoral students
identifying as ‘creative’ and 3 supervisors who have supervised/are supervising their
work. Our research reveals information about the variety of creative doctorates, from
those based in art practice to those exploring the creative processes in everyday
professional practice, for example higher education manager mavericks; those which
deliberately deploy conventional doctoral formats and those which push the boundaries
of such formats and are creative in their presentation. We explore evidence of the
moments of conceptual threshold crossing (Wisker and Robinson, 2009, Kiley and
Wisker 2008) when doctoral students undertaking creative based research problematise
accepted constructions of knowledge, engage creatively with theory, practice, the
personal and professional in their work to make something new. We explore evidence of
supervisors’ experiences of the complexities of working with such candidates and their
sense of effective practices of ‘nudging’ doctoral students engaged in research which
deploys the creative to make learning leaps, face challenges, and take risks yet not
undermine their chances of success with the doctorate in often conventional university
contexts. We ask questions about creativity in doctoral learning, supervisory ‘nudging’
and the tensions between creative work and university requirements and examination.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
103
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T32
Relational Practices in the Supervision of
Creative Research Higher Degrees
Keywords: supervision; creative practice; research degrees; practice-led research
Jillian Hamilton
Queensland University of Technology
Sue Carson
Queensland University of Technology
The inclusion of creative practice as an examinable outcome of Higher Degrees by
Research in 1998 has led to unprecedented growth in enrolments in creative disciplines
(visual and performing arts, design, creative writing, film and digital media). While disciplines
and supervisors have welcomed the opportunities and innovation that this emergent field
has brought, they have also faced challenges in defining and establishing a rigorous approach
to a form of research that is unlike ‘traditional’ models. Supervisors must simultaneously
supervise both the candidate’s creative production and scholarly writing and they must guide
candidates in establishing a coherent relationship between these constituent components
of their thesis. They must also assist candidates to negotiate the relationship between
professional aspects of their creative field (such as exhibitionary practices and commercial
contracts), and the new knowledge requirements of research in the academy. Practiceled research requires negotiating new types of relationships between the candidate and the
supervisor around research methods, process, and the timing and form of research
outcomes. Effective working relationships must also be established between supervisors,
who may have different areas of expertise, bring different inflections to a research project,
and offer complementary forms of support to the candidate. So far there has been little
focused research into how supervisors have begun to negotiate these relationships.
This paper presents findings from our recently concluded Office of Learning and Teaching
funded project: Building distributed leadership for effective supervision of creative practice
higher research degrees (LE:12-2264). This joint project–led by Queensland University of
Technology with project partners, Auckland University of Technology; University of Melbourne;
University of New South Wales; and University of Western Sydney–set out to capture,
articulate, and share the practices and effective strategies that have been developed by
‘early adopter’ supervisors of creative practice HDRs. Drawing on interviews with twenty-five
experienced and new supervisors of creative practice HDRs across five Australasian
universities, and case studies collected from twenty supervisors from a wider cross-section
of universities, we present key findings from the project on negotiating the relational
aspects of supervision. We explain how the supervisor interviews and exemplars of
practice have been synthesised into a set of recommendations for supervisor academic
development and a published booklet for new supervisors entitled “12 Principles for the
Effective Supervision of Creative Practice Higher Research Degrees”.
Notes:
* Support for this paper has been provided
by the Australian Government Office for
Learning and Teaching. The views expressed
in this report/publication/activity do not
necessarily reflect the views of the Australian
Government Office for Learning and
Teaching.
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
104
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
POSTERS THURSDAY
P1
PhUZd on Facebook: Using social media for creating
a community of scholars amongst research higher
degree nurses and midwives. Flourished or fizzer?
Keywords: social media; technology; nursing
Anthony Tuckett
University of Queensland
Amy Spence
University of Queensland
The adoption of social and new media technologies by society’s membership has
transformed the way we communicate. The era of one of these, Facebook, presents
challenges and opportunities in the context of creating a community of research higher
degree scholars. The University of Queensland School of Nursing and Midwifery initiated
PhUZd on Facebook as a mechanism to build a research culture amongst its disparate
research higher degree cohort. The aim of PhUZD is to provide a contemporary locus
for students to converse professionally but informally about their research, publications,
conferences; to debate and dialogue about research methods and methodology and
what matters to them as a research higher degree scholar. This poster will describe
PhUZd on Facebook and the attendant challenges and opportunities of it; and answer
the question: Has PhUZd flourished or is it a fizzer?
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
105
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
POSTERS THURSDAY
P2
Communication and Co-operation Between
Culturally Diverse Research Students
Keywords: International students; Higher Degree by Research; Supervision
Christiane Niess
The University of Adelaide
Anna Chur-Hansen
The University of Adelaide
Deborah Turnbull
The University of Adelaide
Sofia Zambrano Ramos
The University of Adelaide
Clemence Due
The University of Adelaide
Previous studies have demonstrated that international Higher Degree by Research
(HDR) students may face difficulties in becoming part of peer student and academic
culture and that there may be a lack of integration and communication between
international research students. This poster presents the results of interview research
conducted in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Adelaide. The research
included a sample of 6 staff involved in international HDR matters and 7 international
HDR students. In particular, the project examined opinions about areas such as the
importance of building and maintaining relationships with supervisors and peers, as
well as participating in the social life of the HDR community within the University more
broadly. Thematic analysis of the interview data returned a number of themes.
Specifically, staff recognized the HDR student/supervisor relationship as central
to success and that supervisors need more training to cope with culturally diverse
students. In regards to integration staff emphasized that interaction between HDR
students needs facilitation. The student themes reiterated much of what is already well
known in the tertiary education sector. For example, students indicated that Australian
English and Australian cultural approaches are challenging for international students.
Also identified were issues including isolation from other HDR students - even in the
same discipline – due to language difficulties and culture differences. More broadly,
both staff and students recognized the need to view each HDR student as an individual,
while students were more likely to speak about the loneliness, coping mechanisms,
and the need for support to build and maintain friendships. In addition, some students
expressing the need for more assistance from the Faculty of Health Sciences and the
University in helping International students to make connections with others above and
beyond academic connections.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
106
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
POSTERS THURSDAY
P3
The Postgraduate Certificate in Researcher
Professional Development: a revolutionary approach
to supporting academic excellence with employer
relevance
Keywords: xxxxx
Claire Nimmo
University of Strathclyde
Campbell Reid
University of Strathclyde
The introduction of the Researcher Development Framework and Statement (RDF/S)
in 2010 has supported UK Higher Education Institutions in achieving a step-change in
the sector-wide recognition of researcher development and its importance and impact
(www.vitae.ac.uk/rdf). Leading on from the legacy of the 2001 Joint Skills Statement
(www.vitae.ac.uk/jss), the RDF/S articulates the knowledge, behaviours and attributes
of successful researchers. It was developed by and for researchers, in consultation with
academics and employers, and has informed Strathclyde’s unique approach which aims
to revolutionise the researcher development agenda.
In 2013, the University of Strathclyde launched a formalised, institution-wide PGR
credits framework and qualification mapped and weighted to the RDF/S. Designed to
support student-centred development, the unique approach enables a bespoke training
experience aimed at improving quality and success during and after the PhD.
Embedded within the standard duration of doctoral programmes, the Postgraduate
Certificate in Researcher Professional Development has clear benefits to the student,
Strathclyde and the wider economy. Doctoral researchers receive an additional
academic qualification in research-related and transferable skills which impacts
positively on the student experience, quality of research outputs and future career
prospects. In addition to the obvious recruitment benefits, the institution ensures
effective quality assurance and rigour of researcher training. This is supported by
bespoke systems to enable consistent record-keeping and progress monitoring. The
economic benefits come from the pipeline of more highly skilled and trained doctoral
graduates entering the workforce.
Offering dynamic training - through a flexible programme mapped to a recognised
framework at a European level - helps graduates stand out in an increasingly
competitive employment market, whilst benefitting the individual during the doctorate
and adding value for the institution.
This poster will offer a case study of Strathclyde’s innovative approach to PhD training,
focussing specifically on innovative ways to differentiate doctoral graduates as
employers demand for higher skills rises.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
107
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
POSTERS THURSDAY
P4
Writing Groups for Off-Campus PhD students?
Keywords: writing groups; collaborative environment; distance PhD students;
off-campus PhD students; doctoral education and training
Olga Kozar
Macquarie University
Juliet Lum
Macquarie University
Off-campus modes of study are becoming increasingly popular with more and more
doctoral candidates spending significant proportions of their candidature away
from their institution. While having clear advantages, such as the ability to continue
employment and to fulfil other responsibilities, off-campus study tends to hamper
candidates’integration into an academic community and their access to research
training and support. Doctoral research writing groups are one type of research
training and support that tend to exclude off-campus students, as they are usually
run on campus or at least in face-to-face settings. This is unfortunate as such groups
have been shown to afford numerous benefits to participants, not only in improving
their academic writing skills, but also in increasing their awareness of disciplinary
conventions, boosting their confidence in peer review, and reducing feelings of social
isolation.
This poster reports on a study that both investigates the feasibility of running online
writing groups for geographically dispersed doctoral students and explores the extent
to which degree of facilitation (facilitated/ semi-facilitated) and mode of communication
(synchronous/ blended/ asynchronous) may affect a group’s perceived effectiveness.
The study analyses data obtained from a number of doctoral writing groups run for
off-campus students, including survey responses, semi-structured interviews and
observations. Preliminary findings of the study are presented and discussed.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
108
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
POSTERS THURSDAY
P5
Understanding one’s own academic identity before
contributing to the development of others’: is this
the key element to hdr supervisor development?
Keywords: Supervision; Academic Identity; Professional Development;
PhD Students
Eddie Blass
University of New England
Angele Jones
Swinburne University of Technology
A recent review of the literature on higher degree research supervisor training and
development identified a number of interesting trends and themes. The majority of
recent studies reviewed stemmed from Australia, UK or the Scandinavian countries
and there was a general consensus that most probably there is no single model of
supervision training and development that will fit the needs of all supervisors. The
themes identified in the reviewed literature included discussions on the nature of
research and supervision, how the supervisors’ own experiences of being supervised
affects their supervision style, how supervisory skills are developed and what a
pedagogy for supervisor development might be. In this paper, the focus is on the impact
of these factors on the notion of the academic identity, both that of the supervisor
and the development of the student’s academic identity (or not) through the PhD
process. While it may not be possible to develop a one size fits supervision training
and development model we explore the idea that assisting supervisors to develop
and understand their own academic identity, and how this plays out in the Academy,
supervisors can be more deliberate in how they support the development of the
academic identity of their students.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
109
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
POSTERS THURSDAY
P6
Developing a methodology to research the Lived
Experiences on the PhD Journey: Critical Reflections
from the Students’ Perspective
Keywords: PhD Student; Methodology; Lived Experience
Angele Jones
Swinburne University of Technology
This poster reports on the development of a methodology to research lived experiences
on the PhD Journey. Over the past decade there has been significant growth in the
number of PhD students as well as research into the experiences of PhD students that
focus on quality research, timely completion and the ‘vexed’ issue of attrition, as well as
student and supervisor experiences during their journey or post completion, to identify
issues encountered that effect successful completion. The research reported on here
used an inductive approach to illuminate ‘how’ a diverse cohort of current PhD students
in Australia report on their experience of doing a PhD. Participants engaged with the
researcher and reflected on their experiences iteratively over a period of 3 to 12 months
using various methods to share their experience. This poster maps the experience of a
novice researcher learning the craft of becoming a qualitative researcher. Sharing those
moments of being ‘stuck’ in, not only, progress but in a mindset, and how the act of
doing research altered that mindset, while critical reflection in the doing illuminated the
self, as researcher, and opened up broader horizons of self-understanding.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
110
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
POSTERS THURSDAY
P7
iResearcher – Research organizer for graduate
research candidates
Keywords: xgraduate research organization; online research application;
research candidate task management
Muzaffar Igamberdiev
University of South Australia
Athar Qureshi
University of South Australia
In academic world, the postgraduate research is often considered as a project based
research. Researchers at the universities who conduct these studies (postgraduate
candidates) often face wide range of challenges from the day one at the university,
namely idea conceptualisation, research methodology identification, standardised
proposal preparation, presentation and defence, standardised research publication
and most importantly putting together their thesis. Furthermore, the identification of
the road map to perform research project in an efficient manner along with putting it
together in a way that conforms to academic standard is the key anxiety among the
research candidates. This phenomenon builds-up due to the absence of key life-lines
readily available for the candidates to jump start their project. Moreover, the amount
of guidelines, information and workshops currently available to candidates to help in
their research provided by their universities is scattered all over the place and is not
in a uniform system. Therefore, such a systematic approach is the need of the time,
however, limited attention has been given to it. We propose an online research project
portal framework that will enable the candidate to fulfil the above need. The system will
contain all the project management functionalities as well as the range of customisable
components which a project may need throughout its lifecycle (e.g. templates, styles,
survey tools, libraries, guidelines, to-do-lists, tracking, relevant trainings et cetera) in
one place. This portal will be readily available for any commencing candidate. Range
of academic units (e.g. divisions, schools, labs et cetera) will be able to customise the
portal according to the type of research before offering it to the researcher. Researchers
on the other hand will be able to personalise the portal as per their visual as well as
project needs. Furthermore, the system will be an integrated relationship between the
candidate and the supervisors. It will help the academics to supervise better, evaluate
the performance efficiently and monitor the progress in real-time. Candidates will gain
organised research, time-lined tasks, innovative performance, enhanced contribution
and will be able to diminish any social and cultural academic pressure and hence,
completing their project on time.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
111
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
POSTERS THURSDAY
P8
Developing Independent Researchers at UCL An impact case study
Keywords: research training; transferable skills; motivation; successful
completion; independent researcher
Daniela Bultoc
University College London
One of the key outcomes of a modern doctorate is developing independent researchers
trained to have a unique set of high level skills appropriate for both academic and nonacademic careers. A challenge that both institutions and researchers face is ‘the second
year motivation dip’ when researchers are most likely to lose motivation in continuing
their study and drop out of their degree.
At UCL, the Skills Development Programme provides transferable skills training that
aims to support researchers in managing their research project and finish on time while
developing them as independent researchers and equipping them with the necessary
skills for their chosen career. There are two distinctive features of UCL’s research training
that enable us to build successful independent researchers: the use of the Research
Student Log, a research project management tool specifically designed for supervised
research programmes through which both students and supervisors are able to keep
track of the research project; and the use of the Skills Self – Assessment Tool which has
been integrated in the milestones of the research project and has been mapped on to
Vitae’s national Researcher Development Framework . UCL researchers are encouraged
to take ownership of their development and so far, about 95% of researchers have
engaged in skills self-assessment.
This poster will give an overview of how we engage researchers with UCL’s Skills
Development Programme and showcase an impact case study with an example of
a training workshop that looks at developing the mental toughness and resilience of
researchers. The workshop is particularly aimed at researchers in their second year of
study to address student motivation and the drop-out trend linked to this stage. The
presentation will detail the impact and evaluation measures which include one-to-one
professional coaching, pre and post evaluations tests and longitudinal evaluation.
UCL’s Graduate School delivers over 700 research skills courses through its Skills
Development Programme and takes around 12,000 registrations a year for a community
of over 4,500 research students, making it probably the largest skills programmes in the
UK and the rest of Europe. The Graduate School has been commended for the support
given through the Research Student Log and the Skills Development Programme that
has been nominated in the Times Higher Education Awards for Outstanding Support for
Early Career Researchers.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
112
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
POSTERS THURSDAY
P9
“Research online student and supervisor support
(ROSSS)”
Keywords: On-line student support; Engagement and support; Template
for other disciplines
Sharon Chirgwin
Menzies School of Health Research
Suzanne Belton
Menzies School of Health Research
In order to address the need for improved engagement and support for over 70 Higher
Degree by Research students scattered all over Australia, Menzies School of Health
Research successfully gained a research grant to design and trial an on-line site using
Blackboard that could provide static and real time information, on-line social and
academic interactions but most importantly create a community of learning where there
is a sense of belonging. This site which is undergoing trials in 2014 is intended as a
template that can be adapted and developed across a range of disciplines.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
113
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T33
Social Support in the PhD Journey
Keywords: social support; student support; doctoral research
Lilia Mantai
Macquarie University
My research aims to investigate the role of social support in Australian doctoral
journeys. PhD candidates report isolation and loneliness in doctoral education despite
opportunities to interact with peers. Evidence suggests that doctoral candidates make
use of different forms of social support on their doctoral journey, which extends beyond
the immediate higher degree research environment. Further, doctoral candidates
increasingly use technology as facilitators of social support. Firstly, my paper introduces
a new model of social support in the PhD journey. Secondly, I present a review of
Australian universities’ higher degree research department websites that shows how
different universities address doctoral student support needs. This systematic online
review answers questions, such as: how are HDR candidates addressed and portrayed,
what support services are linked from the website, what types of support and training
does the HDR department offer to its candidates, whether any services are provided
for students by students, and how academic community is expressed via the websites.
Thirdly, I discuss PhD candidates’ perspectives on the types of social support available
at their university and the types of social support that they use and value as discussed
in focus groups with PhD candidates. The website review and the focus group findings
are compared and discussed against the presented model of social support resulting in
implications for further research.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
114
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T34
Journeying the Bumpy Thesis Roads:
Learning and Exploring Together
Keywords: expectations; relationships; HDR supervision
Rosalie Holian
RMIT University
Warren Staples
RMIT University
Judy Burnside-Lawry
RMIT University
John Dalrymple
Swinburne University of Technology
There are many sources of individual differences in expectations between Academic
Supervisors and HDR candidates, including age and experience, gender and culture,
and ‘personality’. These influence preferences about how ‘best’ to undertake both new
and familiar tasks and how to negotiate between alternative options. When there are
two active supervisors, as co-supervisors or as a primary and secondary supervisor,
the effectiveness of the working relationship between these supervisors can add
further complexity to the issues with which a HDR candidate has to deal. There can be
important differences between supervisors points of view, ontological, epistemological,
and personal, and there may be no one right way. Supervisors and candidates need
to become an effective working team to be able to balance the demands of staying
focussed on progress and completion, providing support and advice and developing
both cognitive and emotional intelligence. Discussing and clarifying expectations early
on is vital, and since needs and preferences can change these must be regularly
revisited. Areas of potential misunderstanding can be about small or large issues, from
research title to methodology, advice about literature, when and where meetings occur,
and how detailed or informal feedback should be. HDR candidates should not be made
to suffer avoidable distress but successfully dealing with these problems can be a
source of ‘good’ stress (eustress) and personal development. Addressing and resolving
challenges in working relationships while at the same time completing a thesis is a great
accomplishment.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
115
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T35
Empathy and/or Sympathy: Research Administrators
as Initial Emotions and in the Successful Completion
of Research Degrees in Australia
Keywords: empathy; sympathy; candidature management; mental health
Domi Córdoba
University of Melbourne
It is often argued that the trials and tribulations of thesis writing may bring Graduate
Research students into a catharsis that goes beyond the strictly academic success
upon completion. Should Australian Universities be successful at increasing completion
rates, it is important that the stakeholders involved in the management of students’
candidature (such as students, academic staff, and administrators) coordinate their
respective efforts efficiently. They should also provide effectively adequate resources at
sustaining a culture of empathy and/or sympathy. As students set up to circumnavigate
across vastness of data and literature and acquire professional skills along the way;
another journey may begin, that of self-awareness or emotional growth.
This paper looks into the role of research administrators, not only as first port of call
to respond to policy and procedures, but more importantly, as mediators of Graduate
Research candidates’ emotions. By providing research administrators with adequate
tools to identify early signs of emotional distress in students, administrators may play a
crucial role in adding valued experience in their research journey.
I examine how empathy/sympathy is a valuable tool to identify the research experience
and emotional needs of students from multi- cultural, multi-social and multi–economic
backgrounds in Australia. I will draw on literature and will align it with any current data
available on this topic at the University of Melbourne Counselling Office.
In particular, I look into the positive impact of a genuine interpersonal experience
between students from a non-English background and administrators on research
progress by recurring to a strong network of counsellors and other experts in the field of
psychology in assisting students to obtain research experience, despite national efforts
to quantify research performance.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
116
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T36
Improving the graduate teaching assistant
experience: Who and what matters
Keywords: Higher-degree-research student; Teaching assistant; Teaching;
Research
Catherine Zhou
Hong Kong University of Science
and Technology
Keith Thomas
Victoria University
The role of the graduate teaching assistant (GTA) is central to undergraduate teaching,
but it is also an ambiguous role in Hong Kong universities. This paper reports a study
that examined the experience of Hong Kong-based GTAs, based on higher-degree
research students who either originate from the Mainland China (non-local student)
or from Hong Kong (local student). The respective experiences are examined across
two broad areas: (1) teaching performance and (2) the challenge in balancing teaching
duties and research commitments. Findings from this study suggest that professional
development support is necessary for both groups in order to improve teaching
performance. The study also reveals the need for a conversation between faculty, staff,
and the university administration in order to reduce the ambiguity and stress related
to the two often competing responsibilities. Specific support for non-local GTAs is
highlighted linked mainly to their relative language ability and general unfamiliarity with
the local educational environment.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
117
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T37
Helping Doctoral Students to Teach:
Bridging the Gap between PhD Candidature
and Early Career Academic
Keywords: doctoral development; teaching development; teaching self-efficacy;
Teaching Advantage; action research; Theory of Cognitive Apprenticeship
Dominique A. Greer
Queensland University of Technology
Abby Cathcart
Queensland University of Technology
Larry Neale
Queensland University of Technology
Doctoral development is strongly biased towards honing research skills at the expense
of systematically developing teaching competency. As a result, aspiring academics
feeling unprepared for the pedagogical requirements of early-career academic
roles. When early career academics begin their careers without adequate teaching
development, they suffer from low teaching self-efficacy and reduce undergraduate and
postgraduate students’ achievement of learning outcomes.
In this paper, we argue that quality doctoral education should allow teaching
competency to be developed alongside research skills. Systematic, competency-based
teaching development should begin during PhD candidacy to enable early career
academics to successfully transition into academia and deliver competent learning
experiences. In response to this challenge, academics at the Queensland University
of Technology developed the Teaching Advantage Program (TAP) tailored exclusively
to doctoral candidates. The program was designed using an action research method
within a Theory of Cognitive Apprenticeship framework to improve the teaching selfefficacy of doctoral students. Evaluations suggest that advanced doctoral students who
attend this voluntary intervention experience significantly improved teaching self-efficacy
and report more confidence in their ability to perform in an early-career academic role.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
118
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T38
In at the deep end: Comparing different approaches
to developing doctoral candidates’ teaching skills
Keywords: doctoral candidates; teaching; academic development; standards;
quality
Abby Cathcart
Queensland University of Technology
Elizabeth A. Beckmann
Queensland University of Technology
Research students exert a key influence on learning and teaching in Australian universities:
half of all undergraduate teaching is done by sessional academics, many of whom are HDR
students (Probert, 2013). The Higher Education Standards Framework requires that
providers ensure teaching staff ‘have a sound understanding of . . . professional practice . . .
[and] an understanding of pedagogical or adult learning principles’ (Teaching Education
Quality and Standards Agency, 2011). Yet only 16% of HDR students have undertaken
professional teaching development (Edwards, Bexley, & Richardson, 2011.
By comparing experiences at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and the
Australian National University (ANU), we argue that supporting the teaching development
of doctoral students is central to providing good learning experiences for all students. The
QUT Teaching Advantage program provides doctoral candidates with skills in teaching,
coordinating and forging an academic career. At ANU, two historically successful programs for
doctoral students—the Graduate Teaching Program (1995-2012) and Pinnacle (2008-2012)
—have been superseded by a more broadly-aimed Academic Professional Development
program for staff and students, linked to an international professional recognition scheme.
By reviewing key program criteria—such as content, mode and nature of delivery, cohort
characteristics, assessment and outcomes—and drawing on a content analysis of participant
feedback, we examine the impact of participation on doctoral students’ teaching experiences
and perceived readiness for academic careers. Implications for doctoral students,
supervisors, institutional policy-makers and the higher education sector are discussed.
References
Edwards, D., Bexley, E., & Richardson, S. (2011). Regenerating the academic workforce: the
careers, intentions and motivations of higher degree research students in Australia: findings of the
National Research Student Survey (NRSS). http://research.acer.edu.au/higher_education/23
Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards), Tertiary Education Quality and
Standards Agency Act 2011 C.F.R. § 58 (1) (2011)
Probert, B. (2013). Teaching-focused academic appointments in Australian universities (O. f.
L. a. teaching, Trans.) Office for Learning and Teaching Discussion Paper 1 (pp. 43). Australia:
Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
119
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T39
Script and performance quality for
3MT® Three Minute Thesis presentations:
research pitch meets dramatic monologue
Keywords: Three Minute Thesis; research pitch; presentation skills; performance;
dramatic narrative
Peter Copeman
University of Canberra
Since the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition began at the University of
Queensland in 2008, higher degree by research (HDR) students from an increasing
number of Australian and international universities have competed in this annual
challenge ‘to present a compelling oration on their thesis and its significance in just
three minutes in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience’ (3MT®, n.d.).
This paper presents the results of a two-year University of Canberra (UC) research
project involving three phases: a) distillation and analysis, with reference to theories
and practice of dramatic narrative and performance, of key components of successful
past 3MT® presentations; b) establishment from this analysis of a suite of principles
and practices to help students develop the quality and impact of their 3MT® pitches;
and c) trial, evaluation and refinement of these principles and practices via workshops
with UC competitors. In this context presentations are framed as a variety of dramatic
monologue performance, encompassing: a) scripting a research narrative as a story
with emotional as well as intellectual impact, b) projecting a vocal and physical
performance presence to connect with an audience, and c) using the presentation
space and constraints for best effect. Evaluations by workshop participants, reinforced
by their success in the UC tournaments relative to non-participants, suggest that
advantages of this approach to research pitching by HDR students apply not only for
3MT® contests, but also for clarifying and crystallising their research ideas, and for
enhancing the quality of their presentation skills more generally.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
120
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T40
The Postgraduate Certificate in
Researcher Professional Development: a
revolutionary approach to supporting academic
excellence with employer relevance.
Keywords: Development; Professional; Skills; Training; Employability; Researcher
Claire Nimmo
University of Strathclyde
The introduction of the Researcher Development Framework and Statement (RDF/S)
in 2010 has supported UK Higher Education Institutions in achieving a step-change in
the sector-wide recognition of researcher development and its importance and impact
(www.vitae.ac.uk/rdf). Leading on from the legacy of the 2001 Joint Skills Statement
(www.vitae.ac.uk/jss), the RDF/S articulates the knowledge, behaviours and attributes
of successful researchers. It was developed by and for researchers, in consultation with
academics and employers, and has informed Strathclyde’s unique approach which aims
to revolutionise the researcher development agenda.
In 2013, the University of Strathclyde launched a formalised, institution-wide PGR
credits framework and qualification mapped and weighted to the RDF/S. Designed to
support student-centred development, the unique approach enables a bespoke training
experience aimed at improving quality and success during and after the PhD.
Embedded within the standard duration of doctoral programmes, the Postgraduate
Certificate in Researcher Professional Development has clear benefits to the student,
Strathclyde and the wider economy. Doctoral researchers receive an additional
academic qualification in research-related and transferable skills which impacts
positively on the student experience, quality of research outputs and future career
prospects. In addition to the obvious recruitment benefits, the institution ensures
effective quality assurance and rigour of researcher training. This is supported by
bespoke systems to enable consistent record-keeping and progress monitoring. The
economic benefits come from the pipeline of more highly skilled and trained doctoral
graduates entering the workforce.
Offering dynamic training - through a flexible programme mapped to a recognised
framework at a European level - helps graduates stand out in an increasingly
competitive employment market, whilst benefitting the individual during the doctorate
and adding value for the institution.
This presentation will offer a case study of Strathclyde’s innovative approach to PhD
training, focussing specifically on innovative ways to differentiate doctoral graduates as
employers demand for higher skills rises.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
121
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T41
How might coursework in the PhD
be related to employability?
Keywords: employability; coursework; doctoral research
Margaret Kiley
The Australian National University
This paper reports on an OLT-funded project which sought to understand the increasing
phenomenon in Australia of the introduction of coursework into the PhD. The study
involved six different types of Australian universities with: interviews with Deans of
Graduate Studies; extensive workshops and focus groups in two of the universities; an
online survey of candidates in five of the institutions, analysis of a different approach
in one of the six universities; and workshops with over 100 colleagues in the mainland
states of Australia.
Findings from the work with staff indicated that there were many different
understandings and practices of ‘coursework’ ranging from generic research methods
through to advanced disciplinary knowledge, and what might be described as ‘soft
skills’ including employability skills.
One finding from the research of particular relevance to this paper is the response from
candidates regarding the additional support they felt they needed during candidature
to assist them in their career aspirations. Most commonly reported was help required
in being able to relate doctoral research to employer requirements. Furthermore
candidates reported that they considered that to be competitive for the career they
wished to pursue, which for approximately 60% was in Education, they needed
additional publications, and teaching knowledge and skills.
This paper will discuss the curriculum and pedagogical implications of the findings with
a particular, but not exclusive, focus on employability
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
122
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T42
Dr Who: Frauds in Research Education The Imposter Syndrome Explained
Keywords: Imposter syndrome; Imposter phenomenon; Frauds
Hugh Kearns
Flinders University
The imposter phenomenon was first described in 1978 by Pauline Clance and Suzanne
Imes in a famous paper, “The Imposter Phenomenon in High-Achieving Women” which
drew on their observations that many clever and successful women were secretly
feeling like imposters or frauds. The concept resonated with many people and led
to many further studies with some (Matthews, 1984) reporting that up to 70% of the
population experience imposter feelings at some stage.
The doctoral experience creates ideal conditions for developing a crippling imposter
syndrome. Perfectionism, a sense of isolation and a research culture that can be
highly critical combine to lead a large number of research students to identify with the
imposter syndrome.
While the construct was proposed over 40 years ago and people can readily relate to
it there is no clear model that describes how it develops and operates. Drawing on
work with thousands of research students at leading research-intensive universities
across the world, in-depth interviews with research students and their supervisors and
the latest psychological research this paper proposes a model for how the imposter
syndrome develops and how it persists despite abundant evidence to the contrary.
Based on this model, strategies are described that have been effective in challenging
the imposter syndrome and reducing its negative effects. These can be used by
individuals themselves, their supervisors and those supporting research students.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
123
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T43
A Tacit Dream-world Confronted by a
Regulated Life-world
Keywords: dream; supervision; life-world
Silwa Claesson
University of Gotheburg
Ola Strandler
University of Gotheburg
n obvious dimension of European universities of today is the rules, regulations and
objective that students as well as PhD students are framed by. Another, quite different
and tacit dimension, is the dreams and hopes of PhD students. The interest in this
paper has to do with dreams-worlds of doctoral students in relation to the life-world
of the university with focus on supervision. The phenomenological life-world is here
contrasted to Schütz description of the dream-world, which we can go into - and out of.
In this study, the interview data was originally collected for a project, Advise for doctoral
supervisors, at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, with a total of 32 interviews with
supervisors and PhD students from all faculties. This data were reanalysed and resulted
in this paper. The result here shows that students can dream of changing things
outside the academy, in the community, but also they might have dreams about their
own careers, within or outside academia. It also appears that there is a great tension
between doctoral dreams and the power they encounter from their supervisors. In this
study a couple of strategies to maintain the dream are mentioned; to keep a straight
face or to sneak.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
124
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS THURSDAY
T44
The Passionate Knowledge Worker: Exploring
tensions between Australian Future Fellows and HE
knowledge and innovation policy discourse
Keywords: Researcher motivations; Higher education policy; Knowledge
generation in a knowledge economy; doctoral education; Passion for research
Denise Cuthbert
RMIT Univeristy
Tebeje Molla
Deakin University
Robyn Barnacle
RMIT Univeristy
This paper reports on findings from analysis of data drawn from surveys of 325
Australian Research Council Future Fellows and prevalent constructions of the PhD,
research and innovation and higher education policy discourses. Our analysis points
to gaps and disjunctures between the ways in which the doctoral experience, the
experience of doing research, and being a (highly productive) researcher are described
by the Future Fellows in our sample, and the way in which these endeavours are framed
in Australia HE policy and in statements about doctoral education produced by several
Australian universities. We find that the Future Fellows speak of both the doctoral
endeavour and their subsequent research careers in language which is highly affective,
altruistic, non-careerist, and which signals curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge for its
own sake. This is at odds with the political and institutional framing of these endeavours
which focus on utility, employment and their place within the national innovation
system. In considering these gaps and disjunctures, we ask whether this markedly
different framing is inevitable and to be expected, or whether it indicates significant
misunderstandings on both sides which need to be addressed.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
125
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
KEY3
KEYNOTE FRIDAY
Research training excellence in Australia: a good
practice framework for Higher Degrees by Research
Professor Joe Luca Dean of the Graduate Research School
Edith Cowan University in West Australia
Over the last decade, the Australian Government has tabled a number of reports
targeting improved doctoral education in Australia. They are keen to promote worldclass research training and also ensure that our doctoral candidates are supported and
fulfilled in their careers. This is placing Australian universities under increased pressure
to review and assess their approach to research training, as well as promoting quality
and timely research training outputs.
Developments in this area are being informed by a greater role for common reference
points in defining and evaluating quality, with a move toward a standards-based approach
to regulation and quality assurance. Among recent initiatives in this area is the development
of a Good Practice Framework for research higher degrees. Its aim is to inform and
guide excellence in research training by identifying a set of consistent Dimensions,
Components, quality assurance processes and guidelines that can be used by any
institution to help review, evaluate and benchmark their research training activities.
This plenary presentation provides an overview of the development and use of the Good
Practice Framework and its role as a resource for institutions in assuring and enhancing
the quality of doctoral education.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
126
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F1
An innovative approach to developing the writing
and publication skills of research students in science
and technology disciplines: demonstrated success
of an embedded program
Keywords: Scientfic writing; Science and technology; Postraduate training
Ron Smernik
University of Adelaide
Margaret Cargill
University of Adelaide
Scientific writing is a crucial skill that postgraduate students in science and technology
disciplines need to complete their degrees and to succeed in their subsequent careers,
but developing effective training models remains a challenge. This paper reports
the development, implementation and evaluation of an innovative program in the
University of Adelaide Faculty of Sciences. The program uses the text “Writing Scientific
Research Articles: Strategy and Steps”, co-authored by one of the authors of this paper
(Margaret). However, whereas the text is commonly used to support intensive (1-5 day)
article writing workshops, the delivery format for our postgraduate students is very
different, with the program embedded throughout candidature as a series of monthly
2-hour sessions delivered by a well-published research scientist (Ron). We see multiple
benefits in this delivery mode: (i) it establishes the idea that writing is critical to being a
scientist from the very start of candidature; (ii) it enables students to gradually develop
and gain confidence in specialist writing skills in anticipation of their need and without
saturating their ability to assimilate information; and (iii) it regularly brings writing to the
attention of students and provides a regular forum to address problems. Evaluation
of the program over the first two years of operation demonstrated high participant
satisfaction and confirmed multiple benefits to students, including increased confidence
in writing and a thorough understanding of peer-reviewed publication. In time, we
expect to see measurable improvements in PhD completion rates and times, and in
publications arising from postgraduate degrees.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
127
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F2
Pedagogical challenges in training
doctoral supervisors
Keywords: Supervisor training; Practics of supervision; Pedagogics of
supervision; Pedagogical challenges of supervision
Lena Berggren
Umeå University
Agnetha Lundström
Umeå University
At Umeå University, we have been doing courses for doctoral supervisors since 1997.
The course is two weeks, runs three times a year with around 75 participants in total
annually and is organized by the University Centre for Teaching and Learning. The
course is in effect mandatory since it is a prerequisite for promotion to Associate
Professor within all faculties. This poses a pedagogical challenge, since not all course
participants take the course by choice. Furthermore, quite a few of the participants on
the course have no previous teaching experience on lower study levels. This means
that they are completely new to thinking about themselves as university teachers, and
since one of our starting points is that supervision is a pedagogical enterprise this is
also a challenge. A third challenge is the fact that not all participants have previous own
experience from supervision.
This paper will explore how these challenges are being met. We will give examples of
how we work to introduce pedagogical theory and a professional mindset concerning
supervision as well as examples of how we work to give practical experience within
the limits of the course. To date, the course has been very favorably received and it is
often described as an ‘eye-opener’ in the course evaluations. The paper concludes with
a discussion on how the participants relate to doctoral supervision as a pedagogical
enterprise by drawing on the reflections in one of the course assignments, a selfreflection on what it means to be a ‘good’ supervisor.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
128
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F3
Addressing diversity in doctoral writing support:
Implications for postgraduate research training
and supervision
Keywords: doctoral writing support; diversity; academic writing development
Linda Li
University of Canberra
Successful completion of a doctoral degree demands substantial original research
presented in a thesis demonstrating high level academic writing capacities. This
necessitates academic writing support for doctoral students, which is increasingly
important for Australian universities as the student body becomes larger and more
diverse, and the pressure for on-time completion is intensified. Doctoral students’
needs for writing support are diverse and complex. This complexity is reflected in the
students’ varied linguistic and cultural backgrounds, prior educational and professional
experiences, disciplines and thesis topics, research designs and methodologies, stages
of candidature, and levels of confidence in academic writing. To address such diversity,
thesis writing needs to be constructed as a supported journey of self-discovery during
which students’ academic writing development is scaffolded with skilled advising and
empathetic guidance. This paper argues that support for doctoral writing should be
grounded in a clear and contextualised understanding of the specific writing needs
of doctoral students from their particular perspectives, with a genuine respect for
their prior educational backgrounds and their intellectual and personal development
as individuals. It presents the pedagogical approach and teaching strategies
applied in a structured yet flexible thesis writing program to guide diverse cohorts of
doctoral students to acquire explicit knowledge of the thesis genre, academic writing
conventions and disciplinary writing practices, and develop productive writing skills for
quality and on-time completion. Implications for postgraduate research supervision are
also discussed.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
129
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F4
Using learning plans to support doctoral candidates
Keywords: octoral; PhD; learning plans
Margaret Kiley
The Australian National University
Natasha Ayres
Edith Cowan University
Learning Plans, known by a range of titles for example, Personal development profiling,
Training and personal development plans, and Research Framework for Doctoral
Education, have been introduced into doctoral education in a structured manner over
the past decade. This paper reports on research related to implementing learning plans
at an Australian university to support doctoral candidates’ development. We addressed
the following questions:
•Why might learning plans be developed?
•What are the main components of a learning plan?
•How can learning plans be effectively introduced and supported?
The implementation of generic learning plans that can be modified by discipline and
individual doctoral candidates arose from university-wide discussions regarding the
possible implementation of coursework in the PhD. Discussions with staff suggested
that they preferred the individualised nature of a personal learning plan, which allowed
each candidate to build on identified areas of strength and need, rather than more
formalised coursework.
As a guide to our work we undertook an extensive review of the literature which will be
reported in the paper, along with evaluative comments collected from candidates and
staff regarding the effective use of the learning plans and the possible benefits.
Preliminary findings suggest that particular considerations include the need for supervisor
development in the use of the plans as well as the coordination of learning opportunities
throughout the institution in ways that support the specific aspects of the plan.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
130
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F5
What employers want: Using job adverts to talk
about doctoral employability
Keywords: Employability; Research training; Research careers; Careers
Inger Mewburn
Australian National University
Rachael Pitt
La Trobe University
The research workforce, and by extension research careers, are a topic of intense
international, national, and local concern and development. Naturally the doctorate, as
the pinnacle of formal research training, is integral to these considerations. Amongst the
many discussions taking place in this space, the purpose and form of the modern PhD
remains a consistent theme. Particularly as a means of preparing researchers for diverse
roles across varying employment outcomes.
This exploratory study analysed job adverts for roles specifying a PhD as a required or
desired criteria. This approach permits a new level of discussion in the employability
literature, beyond the aspirational or ‘wish-list’ groupings of skills posited by employers
and governments for their ideal research workforce. By focussing on what is actually
stipulated as required for these roles at the time of advertising them, an alternative
picture emerges of what employers really want in PhD-qualified employees. This, in turn,
provides new directions for those considering an employability curriculum to support
PhD students seeking employment in specific sectors.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
131
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F6
Designing and assessing the learning outcomes of
transferable skills at the postgraduate level
Keywords: Transferable skills; Learning outcomes; Assessment
Catherine Zhou
Hong Kong University of Science
and Technology
In 2013 transferable skills became a new focus of the research postgraduate curriculum
at the School of Engineering in the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
Accompanying the new curriculum is the design and assessment of student learning
outcomes of the new Professional Development Course. According to the 2010
Strategic Leaders Global Summit, “the primary objective of quality assessment is to
ensure and improve the quality of (post)-graduate training and student learning and
professional development. Evaluation must go beyond the assessment of research
quality to address topics such as: … Student Learning Outcomes, including transferable
skills …” This study is conducted by the Center for Engineering Education Innovation
within the School of Engineering. Nine learning outcomes were designed to align with
the ABET accreditation criteria and the university-level education objectives. They
assume that students have met all the undergraduate-level learning outcomes of the
university before entering the postgraduate program. Both quantitative and qualitative
research is conducted to observe student learning progress and the change of their
skill level. The findings are also used to improve the course design so as to ensure
its effectiveness. The results of the pre-test on the students admitted in the fall of
2013 show that overall those with more research experience are more confident in
the development of these skills. In terms of teamwork particularly, students with more
research experience have stronger intention to support team members and tailor their
own work plan according to the team’s goal. However, no significant difference is found
between any specific groups regarding the skill of solving conflicts within a team.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
132
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F7
The hardest step is over the threshold: Supervision
learning as threshold crossing
Keywords: Supervision; Learning advising of supervisors; Threshold learning for
supervision
Susan Carter
The University of Auckland
Sean Sturm
The University of Auckland
Are there threshold passages in supervision? If we accept 1) that teachers learn
to teach and 2) that supervision is teaching, can we locate threshold passages for
supervisors, where they initially falter and then cross a learning threshold, being
transformed irrevocably as they do so (Land, Meyer, & Baillie, 2010)? Are there specific
learning moments in the doctoral process that supervisors typically find difficult? Or
are there simply, as with any intense human relationship, “wicked problems” (Rittel &
Webber, 1973) that the parties must work together to (re)solve?
Though doctoral candidates (and their research projects) are by definition unique, they
share “generic doctoral thresholds” (Kiley & Wisker, 2009, 433) as, for example, when
they come to understand “the significance or relevance of the project” (Kiley & Wisker,
2009, 435). As academic developers who teach supervisors, we would argue that we
can learn much about supervision – and about the identity of supervisors – by seeing
the learning it entails as threshold crossing, a lesson that comes easily to us as literary
scholars “in exile,” as it were, in academic development. Supervisors are not merely
“keepers of the threshold,” who counsel and appraise their supervisees; they too learn
from the process of supervision. In this paper, we investigate data from a pilot study at
our institution using literary models of threshold crossing.
References
Kiley, M. & Wisker, G. (2009). Threshold concepts in research education and evidence of threshold
crossing. Higher Education Research & Development, 28(4), 431-441.
Land, R., Meyer, J.H.F., & Baillie, C. (eds.) (2010). Threshold concepts and transformational
learning. Rotterdam: Sense.
Rittel, H.W.J., & Webber, M.M. (1973). Dilemmas in a general theory of planning. Policy Sciences,
4, 155-169.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
133
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F8
Theorising the ‘inter’ in intercultural supervision: place,
time and knowledge in intercultural supervision
Keywords: supervision pedagogy; intercultural supervision; postcolonial theory;
place; time; knowledge
Catherine Manathunga
Victoria University of Wellington
Supervision pedagogy in many universities around the globe has increasingly become
intercultural as more research students travel to other countries to complete their
doctoral studies and as access to PhD studies widens locally. This paper seeks to
theorise the in-between cultural spaces where supervisors and students meet and
negotiate their cultural and scholarly identities – the ‘inter’ in intercultural. Drawing
principally on postcolonial theory, I argue that academics require more nuanced,
critical and theoretically-based understandings of the contact zone (Pratt, 2008) of
intercultural supervision. If this contact zone is to provide a strong and respectful space
for culture to become a place of thought and research, then supervisors and students
require more culturally responsive understandings of place, time and knowledge.
Postcolonial, feminist and cultural geography theories about place, time and knowledge
allow us to reach beyond Western understandings in order to validate diverse cultural
epistemologies (Chakrabarty, 2007; Connell, 2007; Massey, 2005; Smith, 1999; Singh,
2011). This allows culturally diverse students opportunities to open up the space of
knowledge creation to produce original, transcultural knowledge. All of these factors
both enrich and complicate the complex patterns of power circulating in intercultural
supervision. The contact zone of intercultural supervision can also be an unhomely
space (Bhabha, 1994) of ambivalence for supervisors and students and there may
be moments of assimilation as well as transculturation. This paper applies these
understandings of place, time and knowledge to student and supervisor interview data
collected from a research intensive university in Australia.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
134
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F9
Issues in doctoral supervision: Strategies
for crossing intellectual thresholds
Keywords: doctoral writing; threshold concepts; doctoral supervision
Marcia Johnson
The University of Waikato
This presentation describes a New Zealand qualitative case study exploration of threshold
concepts in doctoral research writing – specifically the point(s) at which students can
become “stuck”. A key goal of the research has been to develop deeper insights
into which strategies can be effective for building the types of writing and thinking
competencies doctoral students need for success.
Kiley (2009) argues that doctoral candidates face a number of challenges and that
surmounting them both requires, and facilitates, personal transformation – an adjustment
to how they think and communicate in conceptual spaces. Similarly, threshold concepts
have been linked to ontological shifts (Meyer, Land, & Baillie, 2010), changes in identity,
and hence understanding of what it means to become an artist, engineer, or an academic
scholar. It is important that students successfully cross intellectual thresholds and until they
do so, they are unable to solve new problems or address different situations. In a
conceptual sense, students are lost (“stuck”) – wandering in a mental space of incomplete
understanding. Drawing on survey and interview data with doctoral students in New Zealand,
Canada, and the United States and interviews with doctoral supervisors in New Zealand,
two threshold concepts related to doctoral research writing were identified in this research.
I have called them “talking to think” and “developing self-efficacy” (Johnson, 2013).
During the presentation both threshold concepts will be presented from the perspectives
of students and supervisors, and the initiatives that we have introduced to help students,
and improve supervisory practice, will be explored and discussed. [249 words]
References
Johnson, E. M. (1 – 4 July, 2013). “Previously I thought writing was writing”: Reflections on doctoral
writing spaces. In S. Frielick, N. Buissink-Smith, P. Wyse, J. Billot, J. Hallas, & E. Whitehead (Eds.).
Research and Development in Higher Education: The Place of Learning and Teaching, 36, (pp. 233
- 242). Auckland, New Zealand.
Kiley, M. (2009). Identifying threshold concepts and proposing strategies to support doctoral
candidates. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 46(3), 293-304.
Meyer, J., Land, R., & Baillie, C. (Eds.). (2010). Threshold concepts and transformational learning.
Rotterdam, Netherlands: Sense Publishers.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
135
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F10
The Researcher’s Little Helper: The design of an
enabling online resource for postgraduate students
and their supervisors
Keywords: postgraduate research; research education; heutagogy; instructional
design; threshold concepts
Maria Northcote
Avondale College of Higher Education
Anthony Williams
Avondale College of Higher Education
The question of how to support postgraduate students and their supervisors, especially
neophyte supervisors, is a challenge faced by many higher education institutions
(Pearson & Kayrooz, 2004). This paper outlines the early stages of a research study
which incorporates a design-based research methodology to inform the planning
and development of a self-paced resource for postgraduate students and their
supervisors. Established principles drawn from the theories of online instructional design
(Gunawardena et al., 2006; Herrington & Oliver, 2000; Siragusa, 2006), threshold
concepts of postgraduate education (Kiley, 2009; Meyer & Land, 2005; Wisker, Kiley,
& Aiston, 2006) and the learner-driven, self-directional theory of heutagogy (Hase
& Kenyon, 2003) are used in this research study to solve the complex problem of
postgraduate support within an online context (Reeves, Herrington, & Oliver, 2005).
During the initial stage of this study, researchers met in focus groups to determine
the needs of postgraduate candidates and postgraduate supervisors. From these
collaborations, a range of needs were identified which, in turn, informed the structural
framework of an online resource. Known as “The Researcher’s Little Helper”, the
resource will be available to all postgraduate supervisors and students at Avondale
College of Higher Education. The self-help nature of the resource will provide just-intime support and will support just-in-case training activities, thus being informed by
Hase and Kenyon’s (2003) theory of heutagogy that “recognizes that people learn when
they are ready and that this is most likely to occur quite randomly, chaotically and in the
face of ambiguity and need.”
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
136
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F11
Supervision: a critical space for Pasifika students
Keywords: xresearch; scholarship; student experience
Ema Wolfgramm-Foliaki
The University of Auckland
Existing literature argues that effective supervision is essential to successful
postgraduate study (Grant, 2003). Further, a functional relationship between student
and supervisor is a key element in ensuring students have positive experiences and
successful completion of their postgraduate journey. Hence relationships between
individuals and peoples are at the core of supervision. For Pasifika students, it is a
journey that requires careful navigation between their world and that of academia.
Inter-connectedness is a familiar practice to Pasifika peoples (Nabobo-Baba, 2008).
However, academia has long being known as an isolating environment especially for
students from underserved communities including those from Pacific island nations.
Pasifika students are often at a loss for how to maintain supervisory relationships. In
my institution, timely and successful completions are problematic issues of priority for
Pasifika postgraduate students. Kidman (2007) argues that being a Maori doctoral
student usually means being alone, making it important to normalise Maori cultural
presence in academia. Here I propose that the Pasifika concept of inter-relational space
or va (Thaman, 2008) can be a guiding concept for maintaining supervisory realtionships
and mutual respect.
The experiences of Pasifika students are explored in this paper. Narratives of Pasifika
students who are currently in supervisory relationships show their current participation
patterns and factors that influence their success at postgraduate level. Strategies for
building supervisor-student connections from this data will give an insight into how we
can enhance Pasifika experiences in postgraduate supervision. It is also interesting
to examine how students view Paciifc knowledge systems and ways of being as valid
forms of engagement within the supervisory relationship.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
137
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F12
‘Strangers’ or immediate colleagues: who is
most helpful in developing PhD students’ oral
presentation skills?
Keywords: oral communication skills; PhD training; feedback; competency;
content analysis
Judy Ford
University of South Australia
Satomi Ohnishi
University of South Australia
The ability to communicate the results of research is possibly as important as the
research itself and the development of effective oral communication skills is equally as
important as written skills. But what is the best way to develop excellent skills and who
is the best adviser, close colleague or ‘stranger’?
In a study conducted over a period of six years, 72 PhD students in physical chemistry
gave at least three evaluated presentations after each of which they received written
feedback. The audience for each presentation was a mixture of academic and technical
staff, and PhD students. Between them they represented several sub-disciplines which
differed sufficiently from one another that a common understanding of all disciplinespecific words and concepts could not be assumed. Written feedback was solicited
for each presentation and later subjected to analysis. The feedback was classified into
that given by those who were ‘familiar with topic’ and those who were ‘not familiar with
topic’. The paper will present a content analysis of the feedback examining differences
in the phrasing of comments using a number of dimensions, for example: positive
versus negative, encouraging versus critical, and instructive versus questioning. For
seminars given by individual students, we looked for changes in responses between
the seminars and between the two types of audience members. We also looked
for differences in the nature of the feedback given to male and female students. We
discuss whether a ‘colleague’ or a ‘stranger’ is more helpful in the development of oral
presentation skills at various stages in competency.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
138
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F13
Building research cultures in doctoral education:
the role of coordinators
Keywords: Research Education; Research culture; HDR students; PhD; Doctorate
David Boud
University of Technology
Kevin Ryland
University of Technology
While much has been discussed about the building of research cultures in universities
more generally, the specific place of research students within them has been less of a
focus. At one end of a diverse spectrum of practice, students take their place as fully
functioning members of research groups and benefit from total immersion in the culture
of the group, but more commonly they are more peripherally located within the research
enterprise. What can be done to build the research culture for students? In particular
what can be done beyond the research group of which they may be part?
As part of a study of research education that was part of an OLT-funded project
‘Building local leadership for research education’, a needs analysis of research degree
coordinators in four universities identified that ‘Creating a research community/culture
for HDR students’ was rated top both in terms of importance and the need for it to be
developed further. This led to the development of a set of case studies about research
coordination based on successful initiatives, drawing on experiences in both Australian
and UK institutions. The paper draws on these case studies to analyse the issues
identified to build research cultures and the roles of research degree coordinators within
them. Drawing on the conceptual framework of distributed leadership, it identifies
the importance of: multiple players being involved, the need to build such cultures
over many years and the importance of strategies for mobilising both supervisors and
research students themselves.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
139
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F14
Collegiality – How does it influence the
development of supervisors?
Keywords: collegiality; supervisory capacity; new academics
Ria Vosloo
University of Johannesburg
David Root
WITS
In the process of developing and growing their supervisory skills and competences
academics have to interact with their colleagues in a variety of ways. This experience
can be positive in the development process but it can also be a source of anxiety for the
junior academic. There is also a risk that honest feedback can be withheld as collegiality
is prioritised over development needs. Understanding how collegiality can influence the
development of supervisory skills and competences in academics is therefore important
in maximising the benefits of any interventions to build supervisory capacity.
The development of supervisory capacity within a school or department can be seen
as more than the development of the supervisory capacity of the individual. Other
aspects to consider include the flexibility of the school or department to provide
supervision at the various postgraduate levels, across a range of specialist areas and to
a heterogeneous student body. The normed expectations and “way that supervision is
done here” should also be clear and transparent to all academics.
In a situation where a school is undergoing rapid growth and where many junior
academics are being brought into the school, the process of building a shared and
normed understanding of the expectations, processes and procedures around
supervision is important. When new academics outnumber existing academics, and
where many have only limited supervision experience and may come from many
different context the situation can become very complex to manage.
This paper reports on how both the new and existing academics experienced collegiality
and its influence on their growth and development as supervisors.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
140
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F15
The well-being of inexperienced doctoral
supervisors: Perspectives from the DemandsResources Model
Keywords: xsupervisor well-being; supervisor training; mentoring program;
demands-resources model; role overload
Henriette Vandenberg
University of the Free State
The complexity of doctoral supervision poses several intellectual, emotional and
relational challenges to the well-being of first-time doctoral supervisors. These
challenges are even more pronounced in resource poor environments, with high work
and supervision loads, limited support and training opportunities for inexperienced
supervisors and insufficient policy guidelines. This often results in high levels of
stress, negative experiences of the supervision process and disengagement from
the supervisory role. This interactive research study reports on a supervisor capacity
building process conducted at the Postgraduate School, focussing on the development
of supervisory skills and confidence of inexperienced supervisors and establishing
a supportive, encouraging learning community that promote positive experiences
of supervisors and their candidates. This action research study used the DemandsResources Model (Bakker & Demerouti, 2007) as guiding theoretical framework to
explore the experiences of 23 inexperienced supervisors participating in a supervision
community of practice at the postgraduate school, to assess their support needs and
to plan a skills development program for them. The results highlighted the potential
stress buffering impact of resources such as training opportunities, support from
senior colleagues and the increased confidence in their supervision abilities despite
high demands. The premise of the Demands-Resources model is that individuals
with sufficient access to personal and organisational resources develop a greater
sense of competence, personal growth and motivation to learn. The importance of
a balance between the demands and resources was clear in some participants who
felt overwhelmed by very high demands and gradually disengaged from their research
supervision responsibilities.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
141
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F16
Supervision practices in emerging significant
scholars - Voices from Scandinavian archaeology
Keywords: dynamic; praxisoriented models; supervision; experiences from
archaeology
Per Cornell
Gothenburg University
Tove Hjorungdal
Gothenburg University
This discussion focuses on how we can keep up, assess and spread dynamic and
flexible models of postgraduate supervision. Our own experiences from many years of
teaching at all levels, using of beneficial models derive from praxis-oriented and critical
pedagogies. These are pedagogies aiming at giving support to the students’ long and
flexible process of becoming independent and significant scholars. In their theses, new
doctors in archaeology are expected to contribute something new in their field, to be
able to convey new approaches and interpretations. Recognized pedagogies are thus
in good accordance with our own ideas of how scholarship is practiced and advanced.
Speaking and assessing in tutorials and seminars is a main practice in our supervisions
in developing students’ own voice in scientific arguments and negotiations. We discuss
and work on useful experiences we have followed on intellectual development.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
142
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F17
An Ethnographic Study of Supervision
Leadership Style in a Chinese EFL Research
Community of Practices
Keywords: paternalistic leadership; contractual relations; discourse system
(DS); graduate supervisor-student relationship; complaints; Danwei community
of practices
Hongbing Peng
Jinan University
The study aims to explore the supervision leadership style perceived by a group
of 24 mainland Chinese graduate students and a group of 13 mainland graduate
supervisors as a result of their supervision experiences while studying and supervising
in a Chinese EFL research community of practices. Discourse system (DS) proposed by
Scollon and Scollon (2000) is applied as the overall analytical framework. Ethnography
which includes in-depth interviews, case study, participant observation and in-house
documents analysis is employed as primary research method to substantiate the
complexities underlying the supervision relationship. The findings show a number of
complaints supervisors and supervisees both have towards each other. The findings
also reveal the inadequacy of the school graduate supervision system and the nonmaterialistic yet unhealthy academic culture in that Danwei community of practices.
The findings suggest a Chinese culture-specific paternalistic leadership style which
is centralized, informal, non-standardized, personalized and non-contractual fails to
regulate and restrict supervision behavior and practices well. The research is further
triangulated by perceptions of a group of 11 international graduate students pertaining
to their supervision experiences with their western supervisors in a civil society of
community of practices. It is argued that paternalistic leadership in a Danwei society
should be gradually and inevitably transformed into contractual leadership in a civil
society so that interests of both supervisees and supervisors can well be protected and
an academic professional supervision relationship can be established under a set of
contractually well-defined and explicitly-stated responsibilities and rights followed strictly
by its community members.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
143
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F18
From ‘quiz-type’ questions to ‘friendly interviews’:
A story of striving for quality data
Keywords: student experience; supervision practice and the pedagogy of
supervision; research skills; qualitative research; interviewing
Pam Bartholomaeus
Flinders University
Rosmawati
Flinders University
Interviews require skilful communication and guidance by the researcher if they are
to provide valid data for a qualitative research project. This paper reports on an
international student’s preparation to conduct interviews for a mixed methods study in
the field of education in Indonesia. While interviews are often a key part of qualitative
or mixed methods research, the focus when developing the research is usually on
decisions about identification of interviewees, the form of the interviews, topics to be
covered, and questions for the interview schedule. The narrative for this paper begins
with a doctoral student’s conduct of a trial interview, translation and transcription. The
resulting text indicated to supervisors that the interviews needed more and careful
preparation. Differences in the forms of interpersonal communication commonly used
in Australia compared with those of Indonesia, and between researcher and participant
in the Indonesian context, were recognised as important. Some intensive work
followed, including revising topics to be covered in the interview and careful drafting
of initial questions and reserve questions. This experience indicates the importance
of identification of cultural differences that will impact on qualitative data collection by
international students.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
144
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F19
“I will seek clarification of this in the viva”:
Purpose and process of the Viva through the lens
of examiner reports
Keywords: Doctoral examination; Viva; Examiner reports; Cross-national study
Hedy Fairbairn
SORTI, The University of Newcastle
Allyson Holbrook
SORTI, The University of Newcastle
Sid Bourke
SORTI, The University of Newcastle
Margaret Kiley
The Australian National University
Terry Lovat
SORTI, The University of Newcastle
Brian Paltridge
The University of Sydney
Sue Starfield
The University of New South Wales
Currently in Australia, PhD examination does not, as a rule, include a viva. However,
the question of reintroducing a viva is being raised as new technologies mean previous
obstacles, such as isolation, become less relevant. This paper attempts to inform this
debate and explore in depth the language about the viva in examiner reports.
From a cross-national study of the impact of the viva in PhD examination, information
from two institutions in New Zealand and two in United Kingdom was collected and
analysed to explore how processes differ and how the viva is referenced within the
report text.
For this, the text of 688 examiner and convenor reports (388 from NZ; 300 from UK)
was coded to identify all comment referencing the viva. This text was then on-coded to
tease out the specific nature of this comment (verification, integration, closure) and to
answer the following questions: Do examiners refer to the viva in their reports and, if so,
to what extent? Are there differences between countries in the nature and extent of this
comment? What types of issues are they looking to the viva to solve? Does reference
to the viva complement other comments in the reports, and are differences in process
reflected in differences in reference to the viva?
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
145
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F20
How examiners understand the contribution of the
viva to doctoral examination
Keywords: Viva/oral; Doctoral examination; Assessment
Allyson Holbrook
SORTI, The University of Newcastle
Margaret Kiley
The Australian National University
Jennifer St George
SORTI, The University of Newcastle
Terry Lovat
SORTI, The University of Newcastle
Sid Bourke
SORTI, The University of Newcastle
Brian Paltridge
The University of Sydney
Sue Starfield
The University of New South Wales
At the level of final PhD examination, there are few systems without a formal viva or
equivalent. In this study we sought the understandings, through interviews, of 24
NZ examiners about the role of the oral in doctoral examination and the goals of
assessment at that level. This paper specifically examines the contribution of the oral
to overall thesis assessment as perceived by the examiners. The oral and the thesis
examination report have common purposes in checking for candidate understanding,
verifying candidates’ workmanship, and further developing the thesis. It has already
been demonstrated in previous publications that thesis reports contain a significant
formative element. In addition the oral appears to offer two unique types of ‘embodied’
information, one is affirmation that the thesis is genuinely the candidate’s work and the
other is more ‘integrative’ and about the researcher as a professional. Examiners refer to
engaging with the research persona – the ‘ownership and knowledge’ of the work, and
identify the role of the assessment in developing the ‘professional’ beyond the written
evidence, as captured by the following quotation
‘this additional interaction with the examiners …has pushed them to put their thesis
together in a way that they hadn’t quite necessarily, in its written form.’
The findings have implications for re-assessing the criteria for assessment and the value
of the viva in light of ongoing debate and critique of doctoral examination.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
146
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F21
Emphasis in examiner reports: Does the viva
make a difference?
Keywords: PhD Examination; Viva; Examiner reports; Cross-national study
Sid Bourke
SORTI, The University of Newcastle
Allyson Holbrook
SORTI, The University of Newcastle
Hedy Fairbairn
SORTI, The University of Newcastle
Margaret Kiley
The Australian National University
Terry Lovat
SORTI, The University of Newcastle
Brian Paltridge
The University of Sydney
Sue Starfield
The University of New South Wales
This paper brings together information from two studies of PhD examination. The first
study included 599 examiner reports on PhD theses examined across five Australian
universities, where a viva is not part of the examination regime. The second study
included 500 PhD examiner reports across two countries, New Zealand (300) and the
UK (200), both of which have a viva as part of their examination processes.
The content of each of the examiner reports was coded across 29 indicators grouped
into four categories: Examiner and process, Assessable areas covered, Dialogic
elements and Evaluative elements. The percentage of each indicator in each report was
calculated and used as a surrogate measure for examiner emphasis on this aspect of
the thesis. The percentages of each indicator were then compared across examination
regimes – those with and without a viva – to determine any significant differences.
The indicators for which differences in examiner emphases did exist were then
examined to determine the extent to which the differences could be explained by
candidate demographics (eg, gender, age), candidature (BFOE, enrolment, candidacy
time) or examiner information (eg, gender, location, recommendation). The questions
then addressed were the extent and importance of any residual differences in examiner
emphases (1) between the viva and non-viva examination regimes, and (2) between
New Zealand and the UK.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
147
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F22
Informal Peer Mentoring During the Post-Doctoral
Journey: Perspectives Of Two Early Career Researchers
Keywords: Mentoring; Early career researchers; Collaboration
Carolyn Gregoric
Flinders University
Annabelle Wilson
Flinders University
Successfully adjusting to life beyond the PhD can be daunting for graduates who are
not well supported. Early career collaborations between students provide an opportunity
to improve the transition from postgraduate study to work.
This paper reports on the redefinition of an informal peer mentoring relationship between
two doctoral students post-graduation. By mutual agreement, their interdisciplinary
peer mentoring relationship which began during PhD studies, continued as they sought
to establish careers. The early career researchers meet less frequently than they had when
both were undertaking their postgraduate studies. However, email support increased.
This relationship created a safe ‘space’ outside the work environment and assisted with
coping with the challenges encountered as early career researchers and university staff
members. Work effectiveness increased through this process through discussing and
acting upon ideas for co-publication and grant funding opportunities. The early career
researchers also supported each other and shared experiences as they both applied for
jobs. Furthermore, the mentoring relationship enabled each early career researcher to
increase motivation for their respective fields of study by having a space to discuss and
work through challenges, as well as celebrate achievements.
Informal peer mentoring relationships could improve the quality of the student and early
career researcher experience. This long term peer mentoring experience demonstrates
the personal and professional growth of graduates can be enhanced by collaborations
instigated during studies. Encouraging collaborations between doctoral students could
be encouraged by universities as a psychosocial and career development strategy for
post graduate students during their studies and beyond
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
148
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F23
Lessons Learned from a Multi-Institutional
Collaboration to Develop a National Framework for
Research Supervisor Support and Development
Keywords: Unique inter-institutional collaboration; National Framework;
Supervisor support and development; Key lessons
Janet Carton
University College Dublin
Alan Kelly
University College Cork
The nature of graduate education in Ireland has undergone a fundamental restructuring in
the last seven years, with a significant increase in numbers of students undertaking research
degrees, many on newly developed structured PhD programmes. Partly as a result of
these developments, requirements for support have in recent years focussed increasingly
on the role of supervisors, who now bear extended responsibilities relating to development
of student skills and preparation of students for careers outside of academia. This clearly
has implications for institutional responsibility and support mechanisms for both graduate
research students and their supervisors. In general, there is an absence of agreed and/or
standardised approaches to supervisor support and development across Europe. In
response to this need in the Irish context, a unique inter-institutional project has developed
a national framework to provide structured guidance and support for academic supervisors
of research students. The resulting framework has been adopted by Universities and Institutes
of Technology across Ireland. This collaborative project ultimately involved seven Higher
Education Institutions, who share responsibility for the majority of PhD education in Ireland.
A review of existing national and international good practice informed the development
of an agreed framework which, in most cases, was delivered in the form of workshops.
Two major themes were addressed: (1) the relationship between the supervisor and the
institution, and the relationship between the supervisor and the research student; and (2) the
concept of the research student life-cycle, from recruitment to viva voce and beyond. Workshops
were piloted in the seven participating Institutions and revised according to participant
feedback, prior to launching the framework curriculum at a national level. Participating
Institutions agreed that in-built programme flexibility was key to facilitating institutional
specificity. This unique collaborative project culminated in the development and publication
of a practical guide which outlines the framework and its elements: http://www.nairtl.ie/
workgroupDocs/SupervisorSupport_Guide.pdf. Furthermore, the project has drawn attention
within Irish HEIs to the importance of supervisory practice being a recognised topic for
staff professional development. Implementation of a framework which facilitates core
support and development for supervisors across cultural and strategic institutional diversity has
not been without challenges. A number of key lessons have been drawn from this interinstitutional exercise including the importance of exploring the pedagogy of supervision,
the impact of reflective practice and the need for structuring effective evaluation
mechanisms, which collectively will impact on future programme development and
institutional enculturation. As adaptation of the Structured PhD progresses across the
Irish HE sector, recognition of the need for consistency around supervisory supports via
Institutional and governmental policy is increasing. The challenge for the next phase of
the project is to expand delivery and participation between institutions, extending the
cross-institutional collaboration, in the light of lessons learned thus far.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
149
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F24
The importance of honours supervision
in supporting students transitioning from
undergraduate coursework to postgraduate
research degrees
Keywords: Honours supervision; Transition; Interviews
Lynne Roberts
Curtin University
There is a paucity of material available to support supervisors of honours dissertation
students in Australian universities. Most universities provide policy and procedural
documents, but limited information is provided on the practice of honours supervision.
Previous research suggests a disjuncture between supervisor and student expectations
of the honours supervisory relationship and uncertainties surrounding good supervisory
practice. In 2013 Dr Lynne Roberts was awarded an Office of Teaching and Learning
National Teaching Fellowship to identify, develop and disseminate best practice in
supporting honours and coursework dissertation supervision. In this presentation Lynne
will draw on interviews conducted with honours students, supervisors and dissertation
coordinators in Australian universities to highlight the importance of honours supervision
in supporting students transitioning from undergraduate coursework to postgraduate
research degrees. For many students the honours project provides the first opportunity
to design and conduct research. Guidance and support by supervisors aids in the
development of research skills and internalising of researcher identities, providing a
strong foundation for postgraduate research.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
150
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F25
Supervisor training: Reflections on practice and
future developments
Keywords: Supervisor training; Reflective practitioner; Researcher Development
Cathy Gibbons
University of Nottingham
Practicing within a team as a Researcher Developer within a UK University Graduate
School, I use this paper to reflect on supervisor training that has been developed largely
in response to requests from Schools and Departments for training. In this paper I
will examine our ‘regulatory compliance’ and practice sharing approach and question
its relevance and usefulness, highlighting some of its limitation. I will further seek to
examine good supervision models, identify approaches that will be meaningful to
experienced supervisors and, given our mandatory cohorts of new supervisors (many
who are new to educational processes), examine which models we would seek to
adopt or develop in research supervision training. Importantly as a practitioner I will also
be examining how these models could be put into practice.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
151
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F26
Does supervision training work? Steps towards a
framework and an evaluation of a long-running
induction workshop.
Keywords: Supervisor training; Doctoral supervision; Impact of staff development;
Professional development
Alistair McCulloch
University of South Australia
Cassandra Loeser
University of South Australia
Both induction and continued professional development (CPD) for the supervisors of
doctoral students have long been considered good practice and are now enshrined
in both institutional policies and national Codes of Practice. The activities involved
take many forms and, while individual elements of induction and CPD are frequently
evaluated in terms of content, presentation and catering, little is known about their
medium and long-term impacts on professional practice. This significant omission
poses problems for those arguing for enhanced supervisor training and also for those
defending supervisor training in periods of institutional cost-cutting. The paper begins
with a discussion of the nature of supervisor induction and CPD before moving on to
the issue of how they might be evaluated. In its penultimate section, the results from
an empirical study of the medium and longer-term impact of a long-standing doctoral
supervisor induction program (Supervising@UniSA) at the University of South Australia
are discussed and the paper concludes by suggesting ways in which this important
area can be taken forward.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
152
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F27
An impact evaluation of research capacity
development training on researcher excellence
among postgraduate students at a South African
university: Preliminary findings
Keywords: Research; Research excellence; Research development; Research skills;
Researcher capacity building; Impact evaluation; postgraduate students
Chantell J. de Reuck
University of the Free State
‘Research excellence’ is often endorsed as a means of proclaiming an ideal for the
highest attainment of quality in research at higher education institutions. This proclamation,
however, pushes the focus onto the output of the researcher, as a measure of
institutional productivity, whilst seldom taking cognisance of the development of the
researchers themselves and their needs for achieving excellence within their research.
The knowledge and skills required to work in a 21st century knowledge-based economy
as a quality researcher requires an ever evolving set of skills.
The University of the Free State made an institutional commitment to excellence in
postgraduate education, and established the Postgraduate School (PGS) in 2011.
One of the overarching goals of the school is to elevate the standards of postgraduate
research. To meet this goal, the PGS offers a variety of workshops aimed at the
development of professional research skills among students. These workshops cover
the critical areas of writing skills, research methods, information management, ethical
practices, research supervision, project management, and career development.
This paper gives an overview of some preliminary findings of an evaluation of the
research capacity development training (N=107) provided by the PGS in 2013, and
discusses these findings in light of how these training efforts aid the development of
quality researchers.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
153
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F28
An engineering research postgraduate program
with a professional and global outlook
Keywords: Postgraduate; Transferable skills; Interdiscipline
Catherine Zhou
Hong Kong University of Science
and Technology
Margaret Chau
Hong Kong University of Science
and Technology
Christopher Y. H. Chao
Hong Kong University of Science
and Technology
Transferable skills, also classified as generic skills or professional skills, have been the
focus of the new postgraduate education trend worldwide. The new trend emphasizes
students’ employability and highlights that education should infuse students with global
perspectives and interdisciplinary development, in addition to the traditional thinking
that focuses on students’ research competencies within the area of specialization.
Following the new trend, the School of Engineering of the Hong Kong University of
Science and Technology revamped the research postgraduate curriculum by introducing
the Professional Development Course and the requirement of taking postgraduatelevel courses from other disciplines such as science, business and management,
and humanities and social science. The new curriculum aims at enhancing students’
transferable skills in such areas as communication, entrepreneurship, and research
ethics and also encouraging students’ interdisciplinary interaction. The course content
is customized to meet students’ engineering-specific and research-specific learning
needs. The Center for Engineering Education Innovation within the school takes the
responsibility of assessing student learning outcomes through education research to
ensure the quality and improvement of the new curriculum. Accompanying the new
curriculum is the university’s new supporting infrastructure, the key component of which
is the common area where research postgraduate students are exposed to a variety of
professional activities and interdisciplinary intellectual events in diverse forms.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
154
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F29
The role of the PhD in developing
an academic career
Keywords: academic formation; academic identity; constraints and enablements;
reflexivity
Angela Brew
Macquarie University
David Boud
University of Technology, Sydney
Karin Crawford
The University of Lincoln
Lisa Lucas
The University of Bristol
How do people become academics and what is the role of the PhD in this process? It
is commonly assumed that the PhD prepares people for academic careers. However,
a survey of academics in six UK and six Australian universities has demonstrated that
the PhD is not particularly effective in preparing academics for independent research
and teaching. So how does the PhD influence them? This paper critically examines the
PhD experience of academics using rich qualitative data from interviews with 27 midcareer academics in Australia and the UK. Using an Archerian conceptual framework,
it explores the role of the PhD in developing the skills needed, in getting going with
publication and in providing opportunities for teaching and mentoring, all of which may
be problematic. The role of the PhD supervisor prior to, during and after a PhD is not
straightforward. They can have positive effects, e.g. if they encourage applying for an
academic position, or provide ongoing mentoring; but they can also have negative
effects, e.g. if they prevent work being published or are absent during the PhD period.
In this paper we aim to paint a picture of the role of the PhD in how academics establish
and maintain their academic careers. We highlight critical incidents which influence
academics in developing their particular academic identity.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
155
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F30
Great Expectations: Recognising the Supervisor’s
Role in Postgraduate Research Supervision
Keywords: Role Model Supervisor; Supervision; Expectations; Role; self-reflexivity
Noritah Omar
Universiti Putra Malaysia
Bujang Kim Huat
Universiti Putra Malaysia
Aini Ideris
Universiti Putra Malaysia
A successful supervisory relationship is one of the most rewarding experiences in a
postgraduate student’s life. As in any relationship, both parties must be committed to
the great expectations set at the beginning of the research, and work together towards
the common goal – the successful completion of the research, which fulfills the potential
of both the research and the research student. However, it must be acknowledged
that the supervisory relationship is a unique one, in that it starts on an unequal footing.
The postgraduate research journey, especially the PhD journey, begins with the
supervisor having the upper hand as the one with (arguably) ‘more’ knowledge, skills
and experience in the world of research. As such, for the most part, it is the supervisor
who needs to shoulder the responsibility of managing this relationship. This paper
spotlights the supervisor’s critical role in a supervisory relationship, and postulates the
need for the supervisor to realise their role and responsibility as a guide and mentor.
This realisation is not necessarily automatic or natural, as supervisors themselves may
be at different stages of their own personal and professional journeys in academia. This
paper also scrutinizes the efforts made by a Malaysian research university in helping to
nurture the supervisory relationship, through its compulsory training programmes and its
recognition of excellent supervisors. A bold move by the university is in its award of Role
Model Supervisors to 34 experienced supervisors who have been identified as ‘excellent
supervisors’ via the common institutional rating of years of service and the number of
students who graduated on time under their supervision. The paper explores the value
of this award as a point of self-reflexivity for the supervisors, but also proposes a more
dynamic understanding of what makes an excellent supervisor.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
156
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F31
Improving postgraduate supervision in a open
and distance learning (ODL) environment
Keywords: feedback; support; postgraduate; communication; supervisor
Prem Heeralal
University of South Africa
In an open and distance learning (ODL) environment postgraduate students, in the
main, study part time and are often far removed geographically from the university
and their supervisors. There is very little face to face contact between the students
and supervisors. Supervision takes place at a distance. Postgraduate students are
not able to complete their qualifications in the minimum time required. The purpose of
this paper is to examine how supervision of postgraduate students can be improved
in an open and distance learning context so that students complete their qualification
in the minimum time required. A qualitative approach was used to collect data from
postgraduate ODL students. The results indicate that students are generally satisfied
with the supervision that they receive, however, the following areas need to be
considered in order to improve postgraduate supervision: proposal writing, research
methodologies, data analysis, and the appropriate allocation of supervisors. The
following recommendations are made: supervisors need to have more face to face
contact with students, supervisors should be allocated to students on registration and
regional workshops conducted by the university should specifically address the issues
of proposal writing, research methodologies and data analysis.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
157
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F32
Ethical Questions for Supervisors when
Students Struggle to Make Progress
Keywords: doctoral supervision; ethics of practice; doctoral attrition
Lise Bird Claiborne
University of Waikato
This paper focuses specifically on difficulties faced by supervisors when doctoral
candidates do not make ‘timely progress’ towards completion. Ethical difficulties
may arise for both students and their supervisors when research does not seem to
be advancing to the level required of the doctoral programme. This study reports on
one aspect of a collaborative project involving experienced supervisors from three
universities in Aotearoa New Zealand who took part in online discussions about
difficulties in thesis supervision. Participants were seven senior academics who had at
least five years’ experience as supervisors. For reasons of confidentiality, discussion
centred on situations abstracted from practice rather than specific cases involving
students. Most supervisors had experienced self-doubt, anxiety and despair when
doctoral candidates seemed to plateau despite the implementation of various academic
and motivational strategies. In other situations there was a process of letting go as the
student moved away from study towards different goals in life. Difficulties in dealing
with such situations were analysed in terms of Foucault’s ethical work on the concept
of fidelity to the discipline through which a desired academic self is constituted and in
the light of feminist questions about a political ethics of care that includes institutional
responses to governmental and global concerns. Possibilities for re-visioning
supervision emerged through the collaborative, reflexive examination of our own located
practices as we shared the burden of constraints as well as hopes for transformation of
what the doctorate might be.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
158
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F33
Choosing a nursing/midwifery research higher
degree supervisor: literature guidelines
Keywords: Research Higher Degree; nursing; midwifery; PhD; supervision;
supervisors
Wendy Abigail
Flinders University
Pauline Hill
Flinders University
Objectives
Each year there are very small numbers of nursing and midwifery candidates who face
the issue of choosing an appropriate supervisor. Making appropriate choices is vital for
successful degree completion. This paper aims to provide guidance for prospective
research higher degree (RHD) nursing candidates on the issues surrounding choosing
an appropriate supervisor for their higher degree
Method
An electronic literature review of databases such as CINHAL, OVID and Science Direct was
conducted to assess guidance available to help with supervisor selection. Articles were
searched from 1999 to 2013. The search terms included combinations of PhD, thesis,
supervision, student, nurse researcher, guidance, support, candidate, choosing, and selecting.
Articles which examined clinical supervision were excluded as the focus was on
academic research rather than clinical practice supervision. Articles chosen included
those which discussed some aspect of nursing RHD candidates choosing a supervisor.
Results
There were 16 nursing articles which met the criteria. Thematic analysis found three
major themes which were ‘the supervisor’s research background’, ‘personality’, and
‘management factors’. Within the themes, sub-themes were identified which provided
advice, considerations and suggestions for RHD nursing candidates.
Conclusions
This literature review found there are many issues to be considered. With the small numbers
of RHD nursing candidates commencing each year, it is vital that potential issues with
supervisors are minimised where possible. With careful consideration of a supervisor’s
background, personality and management factors, nursing RHD candidates may be more
prepared when seeking a suitable RHD supervisor thus potentially increasing RHD completions.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
159
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F34
Filtering Feedback: Working with HDR students as
they make sense of their supervisors’ comments
Keywords: feedback; HDR students; supervisors; academic language and
learning(ALL)
Heather Jamieson
University of Wollongong
Feedback is integral to HDR candidature. While constructive in intent, the literature
shows that it may have a negative impact on the writing process and the student
and be hard to interpret and act upon. In the increasingly common situation of team
supervision, it may also be conflicting. This presentation uses case studies of three
HDR students who have recently completed their degrees to consider some of the
elements of feedback. Points of comparison for the three cases are that all the students
sought or were referred for regular writing consultations with an academic language
and learning (ALL) advisor, they were writing their theses in English as a second or
additional language, and they all had two or more supervisors. The case studies explore
the process of giving, receiving and interpreting feedback from the perspectives of the
students, the supervisors and the ALL advisor, using their written reflections, interview
material and data collected during writing consultations. Some thoughts are how these
cases studies accord with the literature on feedback in the HDR context are offered
in conclusion.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
160
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F35
Universities collaborating not competing?
An InSPiRE-ing concept from the West
Keywords: research training; networking; collaboration
Natasha Ayers
Edith Cowan University
Western Australia can be an isolating place to undertake research. For the first time
Western Australia’s five universities have combined their collective expertise to run a
research training conference called InSPiRE: Inter-uni Summer-School for Postgraduate
Research Excellence. Edith Cowan University (ECU)’s Graduate Research School
worked with its peers from The University of Western Australia, Murdoch University,
The University of Notre Dame Australia and Curtin University to host the inaugural
InSPiRE summer school from 11-15th February 2013. The unique concept involved
200 PhD and Masters students from across Australia attending a different uni each day
with a conference style format. The feedback was extremely positive, with students
appreciating the networking opportunities, exposure to the other universities as well
as the research skills training. This paper will present the findings from the post-event
online survey and discuss the process involved in establishing this collaborative model.
Areas of improvement for InSPiRE 2014 and other spin-offs from the collaboration will
also be explored. InSPiRE 2013 gave students access to inspirational speakers, training
opportunities and networking events to encourage postgraduate researchers to develop
new collaborations and networks for their future careers.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
161
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F36
Pathways to research degrees: Qualifications and
experiences of current research students
Keywords: pathways to HDR; research students’ perceptions of pathways;
research students’ entry qualifications and experiences
Jo McKenzie
UTS
Robyn Gallagher
UTS
Charlotte Robinson
UTS
Sandy Schuck
UTS
Nicky Solomon
UTS
Pathways to research degrees have come under much discussion recently, in the
context of the Bologna 3-2-3 model and the Australian Qualifications Framework
amongst other influences. In Australia, the value of the traditional Honours pathway
is under scrutiny and the increasing diversity of PhD cohorts has been noted (Group
of Eight, 2013; Kiley, 2013). While possible pathways can be examined from the
perspective of stated university entry requirements, it is particularly useful to explore the
actual pathways taken by current higher degree students to enter their degrees. This
paper reports on the findings of an online survey of HDR students from one Australian
metropolitan university of technology. The survey asked current students to report their
highest qualification prior to entry, any professional, creative and research experience
that they used as evidence in their application, the evidence that they thought was
important in being accepted and the point in their education or career when they felt
they were on a path to HDR study. Responses were received from 339 students, with
more than 90% enrolled in PhDs. While there were disciplinary differences, only 20%
reported Honours as their highest prior qualification, with 38% reporting a Masters by
Coursework. Many reported significant prior work experience, creative outputs and or
publications prior to entry. The paper will report on these findings, along with illustrating
the diversity of educational, professional and personal points at which the students
considered themselves to be on a path to research study.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
162
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F37
Social Network Analysis and Research
Collaboration; Bridging the Divide
Keywords: Research Collaboration; Social Network Analysis; Analytics; Cluster
George Carayannopoulos
University of Sydney
Grahame Pearson
University of Sydney
The research and development sector in higher education faces extreme pressures
in an era of fiscal austerity where the ability to produce high quality research will
become an even more important driver of university reputation and standing. Within
this context there appears a significant yet perhaps underdeveloped study of where
and how collaboration occurs within and across universities. This collaboration may
take many forms including internally in a school or department, across departmental,
cluster or faculty lines, across Australian universities and or with international
collaborators. For the purpose of this paper, collaboration can be viewed across the
three key domains which a universities research reputation is invariably based on;
grant funding, publications and higher degree research supervision. This paper will
present an overview of the theoretical framework of Social Network Analysis (SNA)
moving away from traditional matrix styled performance reporting and argue that this
framework which has been developed to understand complex systems can be used
in better understanding the nature and scope of research collaboration across within
the key domains. It will provide a link between the areas of research collaboration and
social network analysis and provide an example of how this framework can be used
to illuminate the nature and scope of research collaboration and to describe research
clustering strength and weaknesses.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
163
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F38
PELA: A JCU Graduate Research School pilot
program to support research students from a
Non-English Speaking Background
Keywords: graduate research; Non-English Speaking Background; writing
support
Elizabeth Tynan
James Cook University
Kellie Johns
James Cook University
The Post-Entry Language Assessment (PELA) was introduced by the JCU Graduate
Research School in 2013 as part of a pilot program to test a new mechanism for
early identification of support requirements for research students from a Non-English
Speaking Background (NESB). The PELA is a simple academic writing test that
diagnoses the abilities of incoming international research degree candidates who
either are just at or below the JCU English language entry standards (based on
IELTS and TOEFL, aligned with most Australian universities). The results of the PELA
are used to direct students to relevant personalised writing support structures. The
internationalisation of higher education has seen a growing number of postgraduate
research students from a diverse range of cultural and linguistic backgrounds enrolling
at JCU. The university is committed to supporting these students through orientation
and preparatory programs. Research suggests that international NESB research
students often encounter diverse and greater challenges in their postgraduate research
experience than their domestic native English speaking counterparts, particularly in
their efforts to develop their academic writing skills in English to meet the embedded
demands of thesis writing. Although language is not the sole defining factor or predictor
of academic success, there does appear to be an aptitude threshold, below which
students are unlikely to manage their study. This pilot study carried out during 2013, the
preliminary results of which are presented here, has begun the process of developing
a systematic approach to identifying and supporting international research students
from NESBs so that they can become independent academic writers faster. Further,
the project will form the basis of a responsive, effective and sustainable language and
learning support model for this diverse student cohort. This research has improved our
understanding of ‘best practice’ to support international NESB students undertaking
research degrees. We expect over time we will see improved retention and completion
rates for international HDR candidates as well, and an easing of the workloads for the
candidates, their advisors and university support staff.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
164
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F39
Creating productive communities: “Discussing
Supervision @ Vic” and “Shut Up and Write” groups
at Victoria University of Wellington
Keywords: Supervision; Writing; Networks; Isolation
Lizzie Towl
Victoria University of Wellington
Spread across four campuses and six largely independent teaching faculties, Victoria
University is, for a university situated in a single city, surprisingly devolved. The Faculty
of Graduate Research (established in 2010) has responsibility for administrating the
doctoral degree, supporting doctoral students and providing training for supervisors.
Although we offer a full complement of training sessions and workshops for both staff
and students, we have had some trouble encouraging staff in particular to participate in
these workshops and so we felt like we needed to try a different approach.
In the last year, we’ve instituted initiatives at Victoria to supplement our programme
of workshops, seminars and information sessions. “Discussing Supervision @ Vic”
and “Shut Up and Write” have two key features in common: they’re designed to build
networks across the university, and they’re grounded in an ethos of self-improvement
and positivity. These groups are practical and positive, and provide a forum within
which students and academics belong to an academic community outside of their own
schools, faculties and disciplines. “Shut Up and Write” is a well-established international
movement, and we simply adopted and applied the established procedure. “Discussing
Supervision @ Vic” combines research from a University of Waikato study (Spiller,
Byrnes and Bruce Ferguson, 2013) with feedback from Victoria staff about what would
best suit them and their needs as supervisors.
In this presentation, I will outline these two groups, their benefits and challenges. I will
focus particularly on the design of the “Discussing Supervision @ Vic” group and where
the design and feedback-based focusing process has led us.
References
Spiller, Dorothy, Byrnes, Giselle & Bruce Ferguson, Pip. (2013). Enhancing postgraduate
supervision through a process of conversational inquiry. Higher Education Research and
Development, 32(5), 833-845. doi: 10.1080/07294360.2013.776519
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
165
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F40
‘Drop and give me 20,000 words’:
the Thesis Boot Camp program
Keywords: writing; support; thesis; identity; academic; pedagogy; intensive; skills;
workshop
Liam Connell
University of Melbourne
Since June 2012, the Melbourne School of Graduate Research has offered four Thesis
Boot Camps per year. Described as a ‘no excuses, no-time-for-procrastination, takeno-prisoners three day intensive writing program’, Thesis Boot Camp is aimed at late
candidature PhD students who are amidst the third year writing-up battle and stuck
alternatively in writer’s block, thesis fatigue, or just needing make significant first-draft
progress on their thesis in a short timeframe.
However, Thesis Boot Camp has a secondary pedagogical aim in that it offers PhD
students from across the University the necessary tools and strategies to transition
from writing like ‘the good student’ and begin writing like the effective and authoritative
academic. Encouraging students to break free of years of bad (and inefficient) writing
habits in making substantial progress on their manuscript, Thesis Boot Camp also
provides students an experiential opportunity to approach academic writing in a
wholly new way. Finally, the program brings together an interdisciplinary cohort of PhD
students caught in many of the same struggles, and provides a forum for students
to offer mutual peer support and collectively engage with their identity as emerging
scholars.
In coordinating this program, we have learned a great deal about the impediments
common across disciplines that slow down late-candidature progress toward thesis
completion and the way these are intimately bound to the writing process itself. This
paper will describe the pedagogy behind Thesis Boot Camp and suggest some future
directions for intensive academic writing programs aimed at HDR students, both at
Melbourne and potentially beyond.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
166
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F41
How can I get the most out of my PhD?
Broadening student experience and skills
Keywords: HDR candidate training; generic research skill development;
student experience
Amanda Richardson
University of South Australia
Undertaking a PhD is a large commitment. In addition to the specific skills directly
related to their immediate project work, HDR students are also expected to develop
generic skills in areas such as effective communication and presentation skills,
manuscript writing, project management and career planning. Many HDR candidates
rely on their supervisor/s to assist with the learning and development of these skills;
however it is unlikely that supervisors will be able to fully assist with development of
all these skills. Therefore it could be argued that it is somewhat a ‘luck-of-the-draw’ in
terms of who your supervisor is and whether or not they can provide the additional skills
you may need. Possible options to complement what candidates already receive from
supervisors include introducing structured coursework, encouraging additional extracurricular training, or providing ‘in-house’ training, thus ensuring graduates finish with a
broad set of skills that can be employed in a wide range of career pathways.
The School of Health Sciences at the University of South Australia provides a training
scheme to address this generic skill development for HDR students. The Telemachus
Research Training (TRT) program complements the university wide research skill
development programs and runs weekly seminars covering a wide range of topics
facilitated by research and teaching staff in the school; thereby exposing HDR
students to a broad range of research expertise, approaches, experiences and ideas.
This presentation will outline the purpose and structure of this training program, and
elaborate on the benefits of this program as reported by students.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
167
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F42
The tyranny of distance: one doctoral student’s
journey in distance education-from undergrad
to postgrad
Keywords: student experience; doctoral journey; distance-education;
autobiographical journey
Brian Basham
Griffith University
This presentation is an autobiographical journey of a mature adult learner travelling
through the distance-learning education from an undergraduate degree to a
postgraduate doctorate.
My journey began in 2004, when I commenced an undergraduate program through a
Queensland-based university while living and working in Victoria. I have continued my
journey is it distance-based student to complete my masters, and now working on my
doctorate still with a Queensland-based university.
The presentation will discuss the level of isolation one student feels as they move further
up the educational qualification ranks. It will also outline some of the opportunities that
are not available to doctoral distance-learning students.
The presentation will make a number of suggestions to provide support, outside
that offered by doctoral supervisors, to distance-based doctoral students; including
recommending universities develop cross-institute collaboration for doctoral students
based on their location not the university of choice. The presentation will also offer a
plea to universities to embrace technology so that distance-based students can still
benefit from the number of workshops/presentations conducted on campus.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
168
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F43
The Rural PhD Experience: How a Feminist
Researcher “Jumped the Gulf”
Keywords: Disability; Rural Families; Community Resources; Reflexivity;
Feminist Standpoint Interpretation
Kerre Willsher
University of South Australia
Introduction
The topic of this research is childhood disability, families and rural communities: a
reflexive approach. This research reports upon in–depth interviews with rural parents
who are coping or have coped with, children with disability. The researcher’s standpoint
is as a woman who had a brother with disability and was raised in a rural area where
resources are scarce. A Reflexive Feminist Standpoint interpretation which validates the
lived experience of all participants was used.
The Research Journey
In common with the research participants, the researcher faced many problems that
occur in rural locations including sparse populations, fewer resources and family
obligations, resulting in difficulties in securing an adequate sample size.
With good supervision and lateral thinking, the study evolved to effectively overcome the
problem of sample size. For instance, the study was extended interstate and included
semi-structured interviews of parents and sibling carers of older children with disability.
A community focus group also took place. Community responsibilities had a “flip side to
the coin” in that they also provided resources.
Conclusion/Plans for the future
The moral of the story is “press on” to the “Land of the Unexpected”. Be prepared to
readapt.The data has been rich and fascinating providing ample scope for the further
development of resources for parents and families.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
169
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F44
The story of a PhD candidate in search of exploring
academics’ epistemic-pedagogic identity
Keywords: The student experience; PhD journey; Academics’ Identity
Melanie Miller
James Cook University
The narrative examines a PhD candidate’s journey into an exploration of academics’
epistemic-pedagogic identity in the context of neoliberalism. Specifically, it outlines the
research questions and the experiences of the research student who conducted this
study. The research study has been presented in Turkey, Europe, but this opportunity is
taken to express and share the research journey.
Research questions explored were (1) How does theoretical and empirical research justify
a relationship between the epistemological and pedagogical constructs of academic
identity? (2) How do different academics experience neoliberalism in relation to their
epistemic-pedagogic identities? (3) How can epistemic-pedagogic identities develop to
more adaptively but critically engage with epistemic climates? The research engaged
these questions using a single case study of academics (n = 70) in a higher education
institution. Data collection involved documentation collection, surveys, semi-structured
interviews and artefact collection. Data analysis involved theory-led coding based
on current models of personal epistemology and pedagogical styles, and inductive
thematic coding. Data was synthesised and represented using thematic vignettes.
The purpose of the research was to represent and interpret diverse academics’
responses to the higher education environment. The research offers a small but
potentially significant contribution to academics’ identities and professional development
in the researcher’s institution and the broader dialogue on the role of academics and
higher education in the modern world. The surprise was the researcher working within
the institution and conducting the research from her fellow colleagues.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
170
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F45
The irony of Research in Doctoral Education
Keywords: Irony; Research; Doctoral Education
Kevin Sarlow
Flinders University
As the researcher gets closer to completion and knowledge increases, there is an
expectation that the researcher will become more and more expert in the preferred field.
As this takes place, the preferred field narrows. But, during the process of research,
the researcher needs to do extensive research outside the preferred field in order to
produce a dissertation worthy of a doctorate. This supplementary research is essential
to gaining a research doctorate. Ironically, it is often the ‘methodology of research’
that is outside the preferred field. So, we may find that the ‘methodology of research’
itself provides the biggest hurdle for the researcher. Universities do provide substantial
assistance and professional development for the researcher. But is this adequate, and
is it the type of help needed? This presentation explores the irony of doctoral research,
claiming that research itself is the biggest hurdle for the researcher.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
171
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F46
From hounding to harnessing: Changing
perceptions of doctoral policy-makers and
administrators amongst the academic community
Keywords: Policy Makers; Doctoral Research Committee; digitizing; streamlining;
collegiality; Quality Assured Doctoral Experience; Academic Units; Change
Tracy Riley
Massey University
Julia Rayner
Massey University
Massey University’s Graduate Research School (GRS) and the Doctoral Research
Committee (DRC) have been perceived, by some doctoral supervisors and coordinators,
as obstructions : impeding academic activity; not accepting students that fall slightly
short of the necessary academic entry requirements; declining examiners because
of conflicts of interest; sending out reminders and more reminders of responsibilities
relating to administrative due diligence; etc. etc. As a new Manager of the GRS and
new Chair of the DRC our challenge is to change this perception by creating a sense
of shared responsibility and collegiality, and ultimately provide our students with an
outstanding and quality assured doctoral experience. We have set about doing this in
three ways. Firstly, we are streamlining our administrative processes and making them
more user friendly. Doctoral forms have been re-written to simplify them, making them
more engaging and targeted. We are also digitizing them, making them easier for the
user and less labour intensive for administrators, allowing them to dedicate time to more
value added tasks. Secondly, we are working hard to build both formal and informal
relations with academic staff, particularly heads of units. This has been achieved
through morning teas to share ideas on best practice, as well as generic and tailored
workshops. Through this process we are reaching greater agreement on our third area
of change, re-addressing responsibilities. By providing academic units with regular
reporting on the status of their students, they are more able to respond directly to their
students’ issues in an informed manner rather than relying on the GRS and DRC to deal
with student concerns.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
172
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F47
What is needed in the student, supervisory panel
and research environment to ensure success in
multidisciplinary doctorates in the absence of a
requirement for preparatory coursework?
Keywords: student; supervisor; research environment; multidisciplinary
doctorates; preparatory coursework; decision-making tool
Caitlin Dowell
University of South Australia
The changing nature in most research fields is such that it is now commonplace for
doctorate projects to be multidisciplinary and in disciplines that may not be represented
at the undergraduate level.
This poses a challenge for the student and the supervisor in determining if any gaps
arising in specialist knowledge for the student will be acquired in the course of the PhD,
or if the student should engage in coursework prior to commencing the PhD to provide
a foundation for the research focus.
Additional coursework such as a Masters degree, prior to commencement of a PhD
is expensive and increases the length of candidature. It is also likely that not all of the
courses in such a degree will be pertinent to the planned project or cover all of the
required areas in projects that span a broad range of disciplines.
A decision-making tool has been created that provides a set of criteria to be met for
the student, the supervisory panel and the research environment if the PhD is to be
successful and to determine if formal preparatory coursework should be required.
This tool will be presented using health economics as a case study of a field where it
is common that students progress to a PhD without undergraduate foundations in all
aspects of the discipline.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
173
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
ABSTRACTS FRIDAY
F48
An examination of a cloud-based software
innovation for academic writing, providing an
adaptive, soft architecture for personal and
collaborative productivity
Keywords: academic writing; cloud-based software; innovation; soft architecture
Linda Glassop
Composeright Pty Ltd
Pam Mulready
Composeright Pty Ltd
Academic writing is not a linear process, nor does it usually start with writing. Primarily,
academic writing involves literature searches (via the library and online databases),
identifying research questions to pursue, designing and executing research projects,
collaborating with other scholars, examining and interpreting findings, and all before any
findings are reported in formal publications.
The tools that currently support the academic writing process are based on an
antiquated industrial model that demands mastery over multiple stages in the
production process; traverses a range of databases, writing and bibliographic software;
and requires considerable organisational skills for managing a multitude of documents
and resources. This antiquated writing model is documented in a range of style guides
(e.g., AGLC, APA, CSE, MLA, NLM, Chicago, Harvard, Oxford, etc.). For writers to
gain mastery over these style guides requires a significant amount of time and the
development of specialised authoring competence. Academic writing has, therefore,
become the province of technicians skilled in the rules, regulations and architecture of a
variety of software tools, rather than building knowledge within a scholarly community.
Some software has emerged (ComWriter) that heralds a new era in academic writing.
ComWriter is a cloud-based platform that offers an integrated system (replacing
multiple tools) centred around working on a writing project; not producing a document.
ComWriter offers a one-stop writing environment for searching library databases,
collaborating with peers and supervisors, organising notes, structuring writing projects
to suit individual needs, developing and maintaining a personal library of writing
resources, incorporating references (directly from online databases housed within the
environment), making and tracking notes and tasks, and, most importantly, formatting
output to academic discipline standards with little effort on behalf of the writer.
The soft, fluid architecture offered by ComWriter will eliminate significant amounts of
time wasted on importing and exporting bibliographic data from library databases,
personally maintaining bibliographic data, managing sticky notes and other support
resources, spell-checking and changing language, sending endless versions of
documents to collaborators and supervisors, and ensuring output is formatted correctly
to the standards set down by disciplines and journal editors. Scholars will no longer
need to focus on how output looks, but can direct their entire attention to the process
and aim of academic writing: the quality and content of creating new knowledge.
ComWriter provides a truly integrated online writing environment to support academic
research requirements. An environment where the style of referencing becomes
irrelevant, the formatting of captions and cross-references works seamlessly, where
bibliographic data becomes the search for appropriate resources, and writers can build
their own templates that fit their writing needs (e.g., an entire dissertation in a single file).
At last, academic writing will be freed from the branding of output based on print media
rules and regulations, and constrained by tools designed for writing in a bygone era.
Notes:
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
174
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
NOTES
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
175
QPR2014: ADELAIDE
NOTES
11TH BIENNIAL QPR CONFERENCE: ADELAIDE
176